SMART HYBRID AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE

K.M.KIRAN BABU
M.SUBHA
N.VIVEKANANDAN
III Year B.E
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
St. PETERS ENGINEERING COLLEGE
AVADI CHENNAI 54

ABSTARCT
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The research in the field of aerospace is getting a new dimension each day with
modern technologies that are emerging. Now lets look at a concept where some of the
existing technologies blended with modern one in making a SMART HYBRID
AIRCRAFT. Blended wing body, Stealth are fairly are new concepts in aircraft design
still under development. These designs have better aerodynamic characteristics resulting
in better fuel efficiency. The performance of the aircraft increases by such techniques.
When the entire structure of the aircraft is made of the composite which is
reinforced with Composite Fibers Integrated Shape Memory Polymers, the dynamic
properties of the wing, fuselage can be changed as per the requirement; we can also
actuate the control surfaces using the thermal or electrical stimuli because Shape
Memory Polymers have such properties. This reduces the use of conventional hydraulic
or pneumatic systems, where the weight of hydraulic cylinders gets reduced.
This turns aircraft to a Fully Electrical Controlled one, the more research in this
field develops vehicles with variable characteristics. This effective and efficient
aerodynamic shape to the fuselage and wings, we can also change the shape of these to
achieve the better characteristics. As the fiber absorbs the most of the RADAR rays this
also makes the development in STEALTH technology which is in progress.
Now lets see in detail on developing the HYBRID AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE,
by using Carbon Reinforced Fiber, Shape Memory Polymers embedded in them to
develop the performance, along with its significance over the present conventional
systems.

INTRODUCTION
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Aircraft maneuverability depends heavily on the movement of flaps found at the

rear or trailing edge of the wings. The efficiency and reliability of operating these flaps is
of critical importance. Most aircraft in the air today operate these flaps using extensive
hydraulic systems. These hydraulic systems utilize large centralized pumps to maintain
pressure, and hydraulic lines to distribute the pressure to the flap actuators. In order to
maintain reliability of operation, multiple hydraulic lines must be run to each set of flaps.
This complex system of pumps and lines is often relatively difficult and costly to
maintain. Many alternatives to the hydraulic systems are being explored by the aerospace
industry. Among the most promising alternatives are piezoelectric fibers, electrostrictive
ceramics, and shape memory alloys.
As an alternative, a Hybrid Fiber Reinforces with Smart Materials and Shape
Memory Alloys have been developed. First of all lets have brief introduction on
Composite Fiber, Conductive Polymer, Shape Memory Alloys and Shape Memory
Polymers, before entering in to the Hybrid Reinforced Composite.
COMPOSITE FIBRE:
Composite Material, substance that is made up of a combination of two or more
different materials. A composite material can provide superior and unique mechanical
and physical properties because it combines the most desirable properties of its
constituents while suppressing their least desirable properties. For example, a glassfiber reinforced plastic combines the high strength of thin glass fibers with the ductility
and chemical resistance of plastic; the brittleness that the glass fibers have when
isolated is not a characteristic of the composite. The opportunity to develop superior
products for the aerospace and motor vehicle industries, and recreational applications,
has sustained the interest in advanced composites.
Composite materials usually consist of synthetic fibers embedded within a matrix,
a material that surrounds and is tightly bound to the fibers. The most widely used type of
composite material is polymer matrix composites (PMCs). PMCs consist of fibers
made of a ceramic material such as carbon or glass embedded in a plastic matrix.

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Typically, the fibers make up about 60 per cent of a polymer matrix composite by
volume.
The fibrous reinforcing constituent of composites may consist of thin continuous
fibers or relatively short fiber segments, made up of different Smart materials and Shape
Memory Alloys. When using short fiber segments, however, fibers with a high aspect
ratio (length-to-diameter ratio) are used. Continuous-fiber composites are generally
required for high performance structural applications. The specific strength (strength-todensity ratio) and specific stiffness (elastic modulus-to-density ratio) of Reinforced
carbon fiber PMCs are better when compared to the materials which are used now. Also,
depending on how the fibers are oriented or interwoven within the matrix, composites
can be fabricated that have structural properties specifically tailored for a particular
structural use.

The above figure shows the detailed structure how a composite looks, the strength and
stiffness of the materials depends on the direction at which the plies have been laid
together.
Composites can be designed to produce a material with desired combinations of
properties such as stiffness, strength and density. It is this flexibility to tailor-make a
material with desired properties that makes composites so important to the aircraft
industry. The mechanical properties of composite materials usually depend on structure.
Thus these properties typically depend on the shape of inhomogenities, the volume
fraction occupied by inhomogenities, and the interfaces between the components. The

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strength of composites depends on such factors as the brittleness or ductility of the

inclusions and matrix.
Mechanical property depends on the composite material's orientation, the property
is said to be anisotropic. Anisotropic composites provide greater strength and stiffness
than do isotropic materials. But the material properties in one direction are gained at the
expense of the properties in other directions. For example, silica fibers in a pure
aluminum matrix produce a composite with a tensile strength of about 110,000 psi along
the fiber direction, but a tensile strength of only about 14,000 psi at right angles to the
fiber axis. It therefore only makes sense to use anisotropic materials if the direction that
they will be stressed is known in advance.
The composites are generally formed in Matrix forms; the purpose of the matrix
in a composite is to:

support the reinforcing fibers in the required position

transfer load between the fibers

increase the toughness of the composite

Protect the fibers from damage.

While the longitudinal tensile properties are dominated by the fibres, the properties of
shear, compression and transverse tension are dominated by the matrix properties.

CONDUCTIVE POLYMER
Conductive polymers are organic polymers that conduct electricity. Such
compounds may be true metallic conductors or semiconductors. It is generally accepted
that metals conduct electricity well and that organic compounds are insulating, but this
class of materials combines the properties of both. The biggest advantage of conductive
polymers is their processibility. Conductive polymers are also plastics (which are organic
polymers) and therefore can combine the mechanical properties (flexibility, toughness,

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malleability, elasticity, etc.) of plastics with high electrical conductivities. Their

properties can be fine-tuned using the exquisite methods of organic synthesis.

THEORY BEHIND ELECRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

In traditional polymers such as polyethylenes, the valence electrons are bound in
sp3 hybridized covalent bonds. Such "sigma-bonding electrons" have low mobility and do
not contribute to the electrical conductivity of the material. The situation is completely
different in conjugated materials. Conducting polymers have a backbone of contiguous
sp2 hybridized carbon centers. One valence electron on each center resides in a pz orbital,
which is orthogonal to the other three sigma-bonds. The electrons in these delocalized
orbital have high mobility, when the material is "doped" by oxidation, which removes
some of these delocalized electrons. Thus the p-orbital form a band, and the electrons
within this band become mobile when it is partially emptied. In principle, these same
materials can be doped by reduction, which adds electrons to an otherwise unfilled band.
In practice, most organic conductors are doped oxidative to give p-type materials. The
redox doping of organic conductors is analogous to the doping of silicon semiconductors,
whereby a small fraction silicon atoms are replaced by electron-rich (e.g., phosphorus) or
electron-poor (e.g. boron) atoms to create n-type and p-type semiconductors,
respectively.
Although typically "doping" the conductive polymers involves oxidizing or
reducing the material. Conductive organic polymers associated with a protic solvent may
also be "self-doped. The most notable difference between conductive polymers and
inorganic semiconductors is the mobility, which until very recently was dramatically
lower in conductive polymers than their inorganic counterparts. This difference is
diminishing with the invention of new polymers and the development of new processing
techniques. Low charge carrier mobility is related to structural disorder. In fact, as with
inorganic amorphous semiconductors, conduction in such relatively disordered materials

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is mostly a function of "mobility gaps" with phonon-assisted hopping, polaron-assisted

tunnelling, etc., between localized states.
The conjugated polymers in their undoped, pristine state are semiconductors or
insulators. As such, the energy gap can be > 2 eV, which is too great for thermally
activated conduction. Therefore, undoped conjugated polymers, such as polythiophenes,
polyacetylenes only have a low electrical conductivity of around 10 -10 to 10-8 S/cm. Even
at a very low level of doping (< 1 %), electrical conductivity of increases several orders
of magnitude up to values of around 10-1 S/cm. Subsequent doping of the conducting
polymers will result in a saturation of the conductivity at values around 100-10000 S/cm
for different polymers. Highest values reported up to now are for the conductivity of
stretch oriented polyacetylenes with confirmed values of around 80000 S/cm. [2] Although
the pi-electrons in polyactetylene are delocalized along the chain, pristine polyactetylene
is not a metal. Polyactetylene has alternating single and double bonds which are 1.45
and the longer bond length is 1.35 , respectively. Upon doping, the bond alteration is
diminished in conductivity increases.
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS
Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are metallic alloys which undergo solid-to-solid
transformations caused by temperature and stress changes and they can recover to their
original state. The phase transformations are unique as they are attached to large
recoverable strains. The strains are referred to as transformation strains and standard
thermo elastic strains as well. With the ability to recover strain in the presence of stress,
SMAs are defined as one kind of smart materials which are highly demanded in
aerospace industry. SMAs have higher actuation forces and displacements at low
frequencies compared to other smart materials. In aerospace industry, the development of
new SMAs technologies is concerned as well as assimilating them into existing systems.
With the application of SMAs, the complexity of a system can be reduced compared to
the same system utilizing standard technology such as electromechanical or hydraulic
actuator. Aerospace industry always conduct complex systems to operate an aircraft or a
rocket, the complexity should be reduced in order to improve efficiency of the systems.
For example, a multiple moving parts can be replaced with a single active element which

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can lead to higher overall reliability. Therefore, SMAs were called smart materials
because they seem to be a feasible solution to very complex engineering problems
especially in aerospace industry.
Alloys and other metals are made up of crystals, which consist of rows of atoms
in very regular periodic arrangements. Normally, when metals are deformed that is, bent
or stretched rows of atoms slide across other rows in a process called slip. When slip
occurs, the bonds between atoms are broken and then reform. In shape-memory alloys,
slip does not occur; the crystals themselves change their structure without breaking the
atomic bonds. The structure they change to is called a martenstic structure and it is not
stable with the application of heat, the alloy will switch back into its original crystal
structure. Since the atomic bonds were never broken, this return to the original crystal
structure also results in a return to the original shape. Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs)
have a peculiar property that they switch in between two shapes based on the temperature
of material. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are able to restore their originally defined
shapes upon heating even after severe deformations.
These materials are under development, as shown in the below figure.

Shape Memory Alloy Wires.

SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS

Shape memory polymers are polymers whose qualities have been altered to give
them dynamic shape "memory" properties. Using thermal stimuli, shape memory
polymers can exhibit a radical change from a rigid polymer to a very elastic state, then
back to a rigid state again. In its elastic state, the polymer will recover its memory
shape if left unrestrained. The shape memory effect of SMPs can be triggered by an
electric or magnetic field, light or a change in phi As well as polymers in general, SMP
also cover a wide property-range from stable to biodegradable, from soft to hard and

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from elastic to rigid depending on the structural units that constitute the SMP. SMPs
include thermoplastic and thermoset (covalently cross-linked) polymeric materials.
SMPs are known to be able to store up to three different shapes in memory. Two
important quantities that are used to describe shape memory effects are the strain
recovery rate (Rr) and strain fixity rate (Rf). The strain recovery rate describes the
ability of the material to memorize its permanent shape, while the strain fixity rate
describes the ability of switching segments to fix the mechanical deformation.
Rr ( N ) =

m p ( N )
m p ( N 1)

Rf (N ) =
Where N is the cycle number, m
material, and p ( N )

u ( N )
m

is the maximum strain imposed on the

and p ( N 1) are the strains of the sample in to successive

cycles in the stress-free state before yield stress is applied.

DESCRIPTION OF THE THERMALLY INDUCED SHAPE

MEMORY EFFECT
Polymers exhibiting a shape memory effect have both a visible, current form and
a stored form. Once the latter has been manufactured by conventional methods, the
material is changed into another, temporary form by processing through heating,
deformation, and finally, cooling. The polymer maintains this temporary shape until the
shape change into the permanent form is activated by a predetermined external stimulus.
The secret behind these materials lies in their molecular network structure, which
contains at least two separate phases. The phase showing the highest thermal transition
T prem

is the temperature that must exceed to establish the physical crosslinks

responsible for the permanent shape. The switching segments, on the other hand, are the
segments with the ability to soften past a certain transition temperature ( Ttrans ) and are
responsible for the temporary shape. In some cases this is the glass transition temperature
( Tg ) and others the melting temperature ( Tm ). Exceeding Ttrans activates the

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switching by softening these switching segments and thereby allowing the material to
resume its original (permanent) form. Below Ttrans , flexibility of the segments is at least
partly limited. If Tm is chosen for programming the SMP, strain-induced crystallization
of the switching segment can be initiated when it is stretched above Tm and
subsequently cooled below Tm . These crystallites form covalent net points which
prevent the polymer from reforming its usual coiled structure. The hard to soft segment
ratio is often between 5:95 and 95:5, but ideally this ratio is between 20:80 and 80:20.
The shape memory polymers are effectively visco-elastic and many models and analysis
methods exist.

Thermodynamics of the shape memory effect

In the amorphous state, polymer chains assume a completely random distribution
within the matrix. W represents the probability of a strongly coiled conformation, which
is the conformation with maximum entropy, and is the most likely state for an amorphous
linear polymer chain. This relationship is represented mathematically by

Where k is the Boltzmann constant.

In the transition from the glassy state to a rubber-elastic state by thermal
activation, the rotations around segment bonds become increasingly unimpeded. This
allows chains to assume other possibly, energetically equivalent conformations with a
small amount of disentangling. As a result, the majority of SMPs will form compact,
random coils because this conformation is entropic ally favored over a stretched
conformation. Polymers in this elastic state with number average molecular weight
greater than 20,000 stretch in the direction of an applied external force. If the force is
applied for a short time, the entanglement of polymer chains with their neighbors will
prevent large movement of the chain and the sample recovers its original conformation
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upon removal of the force. If the force is applied for a longer period of time, however, a
relaxation process takes place whereby a plastic, irreversible deformation of the sample
takes place due to the slipping and disentangling of the polymer chains.
To prevent the slipping an flow of polymer chains, cross-linking can be used, both
chemical or physical.

Physically cross linked SMPs

Linear Block Copolymers
Representative shape memory polymers in this category are polyurethanes,
polyurethanes with ionic or mesogenic components made by prepolymer method. Other
block copolymers also show the shape memory effect, such as, block copolymer of
polyethyleneterephrhalate (PET) and polyethyleneoxide (PEO), block copolymers
containing polystyrene and poly(1,4-butadiene), and an ABA triblock copolymer made
from poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(Tetrahydrofuran).
Other thermoplastic polymers
A

linear,

Chemie/Nippon

amorphous
Zeon)

or

polynorbornene
organic-inorganic

(Norsorex,
hybrid

developed

polymers

by

consisting

CdF
of

polynorbornene units that are partially substituted by polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane

(POSS) also have shape memory effect.

Chemically cross linked SMPs

The main limitation of physically cross linked polymers for the shape memory
application is irreversible deformation during memory programming due to the creep.
The network polymer can be synthesized by either polymerization with multifunctional

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(tri or higher functional) cross linker or by subsequent cross linking of a linear or

branched polymer. They form insoluble materials which swell in certain solvents.

Cross linked polyurethane

This material can be made by using excess diisocyanate or by using a cross linker
such as glycerin, trimethylol propane. According to Buckley et al., introduction of
covalent cross linking improves in creep, increase in recovery temperature and recovery
window.

PEO based cross linked SMPs

The PEO-PET block copolymers can be cross linked by using maleic anhydride,
glycerin or dimethyl 5-isopthalates as a cross linking agent. The addition of 1.5 wt%
maleic anhydride increased in shape recovery from 35% to 65% and tensile strength from
3 to 5 Mpa.

Electro-active SMPs
The use of electricity to activate the shape memory effect of polymers is desirable
for applications which it would not be possible to use heat and is another active area of
research. Some current efforts use conducting SMP composites using carbon nanotubes.

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These conducting SMPs are produced by chemically surface-modifying multi-walled

carbon nanotubes in a mixed solvent of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, with the purpose of
improving the interfacial bonding between the polymers and the conductive fillers. The
shape memory effect in these types of SMPs have been shown to e dependant on the filler
content and the degree of surface modification of the, with the surface modified versions
exhibiting good energy conversion efficiency and improved mechanical properties.
Another technique being investigated involves the use of surface-modified superparamagnetic Nanoparticles. When introduced into the polymer matrix, remote actuation
of shape transitions is possible. An example of this involves the use of oligo (ecapolactone) dimethacrylate/butyl acrylate composite with between 2-12% magnetite
Nanoparticles. Nickel and hybrid fibers have also been used some degree of success.

SMPs versus Shape Memory Alloys

Shape memory polymers differ from shape memory alloys by their glass
transition or melting transition from a hard to a soft phase which is responsible for the
shape memory effect. In shape memory alloys Martenstic/Austenitic transitions are
responsible for the shape memory effect. There are numerous advantages that make
SMPs more attractive than shape memory alloys. They have a high capacity for elastic
deformation (up to 200% in most cases), much lower cost, and lower density, a broad
range of application temperatures which can be tailored, easy processing, and potential
biocompatibility and biodegradability.
A summary of the major differences between SMPs and SMAs.
Properties
Density (g/cm3)
Extend of deformation (%)
Required Stress for Deformation (Mpa)
Stress Generated Upon Recovery (Mpa)
Transition Temperature (Cel)
Recovery Speed

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SMPs
0.9 1.1
Up to 800
1-3
1-3
-10 100
< 1 Sec to

SMAs
6-8
<8
50 - 200
150 - 300
-10 - 100
< 1sec to

required

required minutes

minutes
Cost
Processing Conditions

< Rs 1000/kg

Appox Rs

< 200 Celsius,

12000/Kg
Appox 500

Low Pressure

Celsius, High
Pressure

The comparison of properties of SMPs and shape memory alloys (SMAs) in Table
indicate the majority of advantages and disadvantages of these classes of shape memory
materials.

Polymers are less dense than metallic alloys and therefore offer a weight
advantage per unit volume of material.

The constrained force that can be generated from SMPs is a fraction of the
constrained force that can be generated by SMAs, while the recovery strains are
orders of magnitude higher.

The change in elastic modulus of SMPs is reversible without hysteresis in the

vicinity of the Tg. That is, there is a monotonic relationship between temperature
and elastic modulus. This is not observed for SMAs.

SMPs exhibit ease of processibility (formability and workability) and are lower in
cost than SMAs.

The thermal conductivity of SMPs is much lower than the thermal conductivity of
SMAs.
In the above pages a brief introduction of Composite Materials, Shape Memory

Alloys and Shape Memory Alloys has been discussed. The below paper brings all these
technologies under one roof, under the name
SMART HYBRID AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE.
This requires very precision manufacturing techniques, this is possible only by the
development of the Nano technology, and this is how it links or blends the existing
technology with the growing one. Here a basic idea of making the REINFORCED FIBRE
with Smart material has been described, and the properties of the Smart Hybrid Aircraft
Structure have been described, compare with the existing technology.

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CONCEPT OF REINFORCED HYBRID FIBRE

This REINFORCED HYBRID FIBRE, is a special material in which these Shape
memory Polymers and the composite fibers are integrated in the form of the sandwiched
multi layers, as shown in the below figure

- COMPOSITE FIBRE

- SHAPE MEMORY

POLYMER.
The above one is an example of the Hybrid Reinforced Fiber.
Such hybrid fibers when strongly reinforced have a very good flexibility, we can
change their shapes easily, thermal or electrical stimuli as we need. The reinforcement is
done at selected intricate of the Composite Fiber with Shape Memory Polymers. The
reinforcement has to be done with high engineering precision, conductive polymers must
also be used in this fiber. The composites which are basically in the form of the matrices
can be made Smart just by reinforcing them with Smart materials.
This composite fiber reinforced with Poly Matrix Composites ( PMC ) and Shape
Memory Polymers ( SMPs ), can be developed with varying spectrum of the properties
according to our needs, this can be accomplished by selecting the Shape Memory
Polymer ( SMP ) from the wide range of the list of materials listed above some of the
materials are PET , PMMA. This fiber can be made in the shapes we need, the main
significance of this is the entire material becomes fibers no metal or alloys blended in
between this reduces the weight to some extend. It also damps the vibrations to large
extend, as the top layer is Matrix Composite this is non conductive hence the safety is
also comes it to, more over the fibers bear more impact loads better than the metal, all
these make this Hybrid Material one of the better choice of fabricating the crucial parts
of the Aircraft like Wings, Empennage etc.

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HYBRID FIBRE AS THE INTEGRATED CONTROL

ACTUATOR
At present we are using Hydraulic or Pneumatic actuators for actuating the control
surfaces, and use of Shape Memory Alloys for Actuation is also in developing stage, here
the Hybrid Material it self acts as an actuator, this integrates the Control Surfaces with
the wing. The actuation is based on the Thermal Stimuli.
The Cross Section of the Elevator of this Hybrid Fiber Integrated Control
Actuator looks as shown in the below figure, this is made by sand witching two layers of
Poly Matrix Composite with Shape Memory Polymer and conducting polymer.

o COMPOSITE FIBRE.
o

SHAPE MEMORY POLYMER.

CONDUCTING POLYMER.

The shape memory layer in between the composite fibers is used to manipulate a
flexible wing surface.
ACTUATION
If the Elevator has to be raised down, then the Transition Temperature, Ttrans
has
to be passed through the conducting polymer via heating elements, to the Upper Layer of the
Shape Memory Polymer, this makes the polymer to expand. Simultaneously the Recovery

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Temperature

T re cov

has to be passed; this makes the polymer sheet to contract. As result the

edge of the Hybrid Fiber raised Down, as shown in the below figure,

If the edge has to be raised up the reverse of the above action has to be done,i.e
the Transition Temperature Ttrans
has to be passed in the bottom layer of the Shape
will be passed in the Upper layer,
Memory Polymer and Recovery Temperature T re cov
This results in Expansion of the Bottom Layer and contraction of the top layer, which
results in the edge raised up, as shown in the below figure,

Such wings reduce the use of the actuators, accordingly, the conventional system
has a larger weight, size and potential failure the limitations are multiple energy
conversions, large number of parts, high vulnerability. In contrast, smart Wings
electrical-to-mechanical type or Thermal to electrical type, are much more efficient
because the electricity is directly converse to actuation and transmitting speed of
electricity is much higher.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INTEGRATED ACTUATOR
The integration of the control surface actuator with in the wings or empennage
has many advantages over the conventional systems which we are using now, some of
them are,

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There will be less separation of the air, as the actuator works internally
with structure.

The Hydraulic Cylinders can be eliminated or minimized, this reduces the

weight.

As there is less need of the rivets and fasteners the aerodynamic efficiency
of the aircraft is improved.

As the conducting polymers are integrated in the structure we need not

give any separate lines for electrical conductivity.

As the stimuli used is either electrical or thermal we can easily convert the
aircraft in to an Fully Electrical Operated, even the actuation power
required is low when compared to the hydraulic actuators.

DYNAMIC CHANGE OF WING CROSS SECTION

The wing is the main lifting producing component of the aircraft; it is produced
by the pressure difference between the Upper and the Lower Surface of the wing. There
are basically two types of the aerofoil namely Symmetrical and Chambered. Both of them
have their respective significance in the performance. By fabricating the wing structure
by this HYBRID REINFORCED COMPOSITE, the shape of the aerofoil can be changed
accordingly with out much difficulty, this add an special feature to the aircraft and makes
it Smart.
The figure shown below is a model of the symmetrical aerofoil made of the
Hybrid Reinforced Composite; it consists of a Shape Memory Polymer sheet in between
two Conducting Polymers sandwiched in between two layers of the Composite fiber.

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Now if we want to change the aerofoil to chambered then the electric or the
thermal stimuli has to be passed to the Sheet of the Shape Memory Polymer through the
Conducting Polymer, the stimuli should be proportional to the Maximum Chamber
Thickness, this cause the Shape Memory Polymer to Bend and makes the shape of the
aerofoil the Chambered one.
The below figure is one such dynamically changed aerofoil.

DYNAMIC CHANGE IN POSITON OF WINGS

The wings of the aircraft are generally fixed

Straight.

Dihedral Angle.

Anhedral Angle.

In these three positions they have their own significances, If the we make the wing with
this Hybrid Reinforced Fiber, we can change the positions as per our need just by passing
the Thermal or Electrical Stimuli. Such properties already under development but this
concept is we can control all these properties of the aircraft by electrical signals this
makes this Concept Smart.
Dihedral Angle is the upward angle from horizontal of the wings or tail plane of a
fixed-wing aircraft. Dihedral Angle (or Anhedral Angle) has a strong influence on
Dihedral Effect, which is named after it. Dihedral Effect is the amount of rolling
moment produced per degree (or radian) of sideslip. Dihedral Effect is critical to the
stability of an aircraft about the roll axis (the spiral mode). It is also pertinent to the
nature of an aircraft's Dutch roll oscillation and to maneuverability about the roll axis.

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The figure shown below is the normal position of the wing,

If the wing position has to be made anhedral angle or dihedral , we have to

pass the required thermal or electrical stimuli, according to our angle then the position of
the wing changes as we require.

SIGNIFICANCE:
The significance of this is that we can change the position of the wing as per our
requirement, this adds a special feature to the aircraft and makes it smart. The purpose of
Dihedral Effect is to contribute to stability in the roll axis. It is an important factor in the
stability of the spiral mode which is sometimes called "roll stability". It is important to
note that Dihedral Effect does not contribute directly to the restoring of "wings level", but
that its action is indirect. It indirectly helps restore "wings level" through its effect on the
spiral mode

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Aircraft designers may increase Dihedral Angle or create Polyhedral to provide increased
clearance between wing tips and the runway. The increased Dihedral Effect caused by
this may need to be compensated for by one or more other means, such as decreasing the
Dihedral Angle on the horizontal tail.

ADVANTAGES OF USING THIS HYBRID REINFORCED

MATERIAL
The weight of the Hydraulic Cylinders and Actuators get reduced, as the material
it self has an actuating property.
The Safety of the aircraft improves as the outer material is a strong fibre
reinforced with carbon nano tubes to make it strong this improves the shock
baring capacity.
The aerodynamic efficiency improves as the use of the fastners get reduced.
The flow separation is minimised as the actuator is integrated inside the surface.
This makes the aircarft to Fully Electrically Controlled which improves the over
all efficiency.
As the weight get reduced The Specific Fuel Consumption gets reduced there by
decrese in the emmision.

CHALLENGES IN USING THIS HYBRID REINFORCED

MATERIAL
The cover layer of the wing must be made up of strong fibre reinforced with the
Carbon nano tubes to increase its strength , but this is still in the developing stage.
The exact temperature of the thermal or the electrical stimuli has to calibrated
with high presion.
The fabrication require high and modren composite technology which is still
under development.
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 The material for the Shape Memory Polymer has to be chossen Very carefully to
prevent any mishap.

CONCLUSION:
Shape Memory Polymers integrated aircraft sturucture is the better possible way
in increasin the efficiency and maneuvouerabilty of the aircarft, it has many advantages
when compared to the conventional systems which we use now. The challenges in using
this polymers are to be over comed to make this HYBRID REINFORCED FIBRE in the
aircraft sturucture, this is possible by the up coming Nano technology.

REFERENCES:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/358442/ .

World Wide Web.

Encarts Encyclopediea.

Shape Memory Alloys hand book.

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