Work Package 2 will mature a selected group of novel, beyond state-of-the-art, helicopter focused morphing concepts through a carefully considered program of modelling, design and experimental testing efforts. The concepts considered include two active twist devices (SMA, inertially driven), two active camber concepts (FishBAC, translation induced camber), a variable chord concept and an active tendon concept which can actively control blade dynamic response.
This work package will also consider a novel approach to addressing the challenge of actuation in the rotating frame through the development of passive energy balancing methods that directly offset the amount of energy required to morph, and therefore allow for smaller, lighter, lower power actuators to be used.
Surrogate models of the morphing concepts will be developed for use in the WP1 analysis, and the work package will culminate in wind tunnel and whirl tower testing of the concepts.