Aerodynamic Performance of Camber-Morphing Airfoils in Transonic and Supersonic Flow

The primary aim of the current study is to conduct a comprehensive numerical analysis of the aerodynamic performance of camber-morphing airfoils operating under transonic and supersonic flow conditions through a two-dimensional (2D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The first airfoil analyzed using 2D CFD (at subsonic flow) was the RAE 2822 airfoil, while the second airfoil (at supersonic flow) was the Selig S1223 airfoil. Parametric alterations to camber were executed to replicate morphed behavior for steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) assessments of lift, drag, and lift-to-drag ratio ([Formula: see text]) assessments. Results revealed that camber morphing improved aerodynamic performance, increasing the [Formula: see text] ratio, delaying flow separation, and reducing drag as compared to conventionally rigid configurations. In the case of the RAE 2822 airfoil, there was an optimal camber condition that produced the most lift without an associated drag penalty; also, the Selig S1223 airfoil experienced increased lift at lower camber morphing, even as compressibility effects surpassed lift performance. A pressure contour and velocity contour analysis determined that these positive morphing configurations revealed smoother pressure recovery and shallower shock strengths that implied the efficacy of continuous and dependent geometric adaptability that improved aerodynamic performance at all Mach numbers. The numerical assessment of camber morphing provides a rationale for building the case for a technology platform to develop and operationalize a next-generation camber-morphing airfoil for real-time aerodynamic optimization for both subsonic and supersonic performance.