A research team at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) has succeeded in innovating a new bio-inspired metal, opening up prospects for designing aircraft wings that smoothly change shape during flight. Scientists confirm that this material is characterized by its light weight, high flexibility, ability to withstand extreme conditions, and automatic restoration to its original shape.
The strange thing is that the inspiration for this new metal did not come from studying bird flight, but from the outer shell of the seeds of a succulent plant known as “Portulaca oleracea”. The researchers were able to simulate the natural design of this shell and transform it into a honeycomb-like metal structure, which gave the material excellent flexibility and exceptional strength at the same time.
By using nickel-titanium alloys, known for their ability to “remember” their shape, and using high-precision 3D printing technology (LPBF), the team was able to produce a precise metal structure capable of withstanding aerodynamic forces and changing its shape as needed.
Experiments conducted on prototype aircraft wings have demonstrated the ability to smoothly change the angle of the wings within a wide range of -25° to 25°, even at low temperatures similar to high-altitude conditions.
The researchers hope that this innovative material will contribute to the development of more intelligent aircraft surfaces that can instantly adapt to changing flight conditions, with the possibility of integrating sensors and electronic components to monitor and automatically adjust the shape of the wings in the future.
