Airfoil Shape Manipulation Using Pressure-Driven Soft Actuators

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the response characteristics of pressure-driven soft actuators and their application in airfoil shape manipulation, focusing on certain regions such as the leading edge, trailing edge, and mid-chord region. Pressure-driven soft actuators, consisting of elastomeric materials for deformation and high-strength materials for structural integrity, exhibit shape-changing capabilities when subjected to internal pressure. finite element models are developed to analyze the structural response of these soft actuators under varying parameters such as pressure levels, cross-sectional layouts, elastomeric material properties and restraining plate configurations. Results indicate that internal pressure levels and material properties affect both axial and bending displacement while restraining plates further enhance bending response for varying cross-sections of soft actuators. The integration of these soft actuators on an airfoil geometry demonstrated potential for optimizing aerodynamic performance for various mission requirements. The result of this research provides insights for designing more adaptive and efficient morphing airfoils using pressure-driven soft actuators.