Aerodynamic Optimization of a Morphing Airfoil Using Energy as an Objective

significantly change shape during flight. The research discussed in this paper focuses upon the shape design of morphing airfoil sections. In the efforts herein, the relative strain energy needed to change from one airfoil shape to another is presented as an additional design objective along with a drag design objective, while constraints are enforced on lift. Solving the resulting multi-objective problem generates a range of morphing airfoil designs that representthebesttradeoffsbetweenaerodynamicperformanceandmorphingenergyrequirements.Fromthemultiobjective solutions, a designer can select a set of airfoil shapes with a low relative strain energy that requires a small actuation cost and with improved aerodynamic performance at the design conditions.