Morphing Wing Penalty Analysis

This project develops an early‑stage, multi‑fidelity design framework for comparing morphing (adaptive) versus fixed‑wing UAV configurations across multiple mission phases, focusing on quantifying both benefits and penalties of morphing. The workflow begins with the generation of many candidate geometries, which are screened using lower-fidelity models; then, high-fidelity CFD provides performance metrics and pressure distributions. Designs are grouped via design space decomposition, and promising geometries are passed to an aeroelastic FEA analysis to optimize composite wing shells, determine required actuation forces, and estimate actuator mass/volume. By integrating structural, aerodynamic, and actuation cost penalties (weight, stiffness, power, spatial), the framework produces trade‑offs that indicate when morphing wings are truly advantageous over conventional fixed wings under realistic operational and structural constraints.