The US space agency uses memory alloy materials in the folding of the F/A-18 wings. (Note: The specific application of NiTinol-titanium sheet is implied but not explicitly stated in the original text.)
志联
2024-08-04
NASA engineers used a novel shape-memory alloy (SMA) actuator made of NiTinol titanium to fold the 300-pound (136 kg) wings of an F/A-18 Hornet supersonic fighter, marking a new turning point for cutting-edge aerospace technology.
This test was conducted at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards. The experiment utilized a newly developed high-temperature shape memory alloy Ni-Ti-HF alloy torque tube actuator, generating 5000 inch-pounds (564 Nm) of torque.
According to NASA, the recent tests are part of the agency's development of the Shape Adaptive Wing (SAW) program. By simplifying aircraft design, they will be able to replace complex mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical brakes with components or wings made of shape memory alloys. This submerged arc welding, developed by NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Langley Research Center, Boeing Research & Technology, and Area-I, can reduce the weight of the actuator by 80%. Key to this is the shape memory alloy, a special metal combination that retains a "memory" of its shape.
SMA actuators work on the same principle as this metal, allowing the actuator to change shape without the need for motors, pulleys, or hydraulics applied through heating or other means. One of NASA's current research directions is the development of folding wings that will be lighter, simpler, longer, thinner, more fuel-efficient, and equipped with stabilizers.
This technology could also allow aircraft wings to morph based on different spatial conditions, potentially even improving the performance of supersonic aircraft. Through the collaborative efforts of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Langley Research Center, Boeing Research & Technology, and Area-I, the weight of the electric actuator can be reduced by 80%.
The key is the shape memory alloy, a special metal combination that retains a "memory" of its shape. In other words, if you stretch a shape memory alloy spring, crumple it into a ball, and then heat it, it will snap back to its original shape. SMA actuators work the same way. By heating or other stimulation, the actuator can change its shape without motors, pulleys, or hydraulics.
NASA's current focus is on producing foldable wings that may one day become lighter, simpler, longer, thinner, and equipped with stabilizers and more fuel-efficient rudders. This technology could also allow aircraft wings to morph, utilizing different air conditions, and potentially even improve the performance of supersonic aircraft. To date, SMA actuators have been tested on the remotely piloted Prototype Technology Assessment Research Aircraft (PTRA), but NASA is now installing SMA actuators on F/A-18 Hornet wings.
Currently, SMA actuators have been tested on remotely piloted prototype technology assessment research aircraft. Now, NASA is conducting further tests on the F/A-18 Hornet. During the tests, the actuator not only allowed the wings to fold up and down 90 degrees, but also allowed for very precise control. In the future, this folding technology will also be applied to fighters on aircraft carriers, which can also be folded, just as the aircraft flies under conditions simulating actual flight loads.
NASA says F/A-18 testing will continue in the coming months until a new actuator is installed that can generate 20,000 pound-inches (2260 Nm) of torque, which can be applied to the leading and trailing edges of the wings.
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