2022 / Course scientific paper
Mechanical Analysis of the Morphing Leading Edge Concept
An experimental and numerical assessment of a LeaTop morphing-wing demonstrator using strain data, FEM, photogrammetry, and energy analysis.
This paper evaluates the mechanical effectiveness and structural behavior of TU Delft’s LeaTop morphing leading-edge demonstrator.
The group used Python to process finite-element displacement and strain data, transformed strains into the local skin coordinate system, compared them with experimental fiber measurements, and used photogrammetry to compare the deformed shape with the aerodynamic target.
Reported result
The demonstrator reached a 7.73° rotation, exceeding its 5° minimum requirement, and sufficiently matched the target shape. The structural analysis found bending strain to be dominant, with axial strain approximately an order of magnitude smaller. Actuation-energy analysis also met the efficiency criteria defined for the study.
The paper is an academic course paper based on a provided experimental dataset. The authors explicitly note the limitation that they did not control or fully observe the original data-collection process. I preserve that caveat here because it affects how strongly the result can be interpreted.