The network

The goal of the Adaptronics Competence Network is to introduce smart structure solutions to the domain of mechanical engineering. The result of this process is "intelligent structural systems", which can efficiently address issues of shape control and active reduction of noise and vibration. Moreover, smart structures enable solutions where passive approaches reach their limits (e.g. lightweight design vs. acoustics). Within the scope of the network, core competencies are developed which help to preserve and strengthen the value creation potentials of the involved partners in future markets.

Main activities

The Adaptronics Competence Network, under administration of the DLR Adaptronics Centre of Excellence, focuses the German expertise in the field of smart structures. All processes that constitute an "intelligent structural system" are covered by the know-how of the network partners.
Currently, 12 research facilities and more than 14 companies (8 SMEs) from the whole of Germany take an active part in the network. The spectrum of workgroups and workshops covers the whole range of issues concerning smart structures, from basic research to industrial application.
The international activities of the network are characterised by cooperation with well-known research facilities and industrial enterprises, participation in EU research projects, and organisation of and participation in internationally recognised expert events.
All in all, the manifold activities of the network are directed at developing and broadening the huge innovation potential of smart structures, in order to meet the ever-growing requirements regarding efficiency, comfort, environmental compatibility, etc.

The technological focus

The extreme multidisciplinarity of smart structures manifests itself in a huge range of current and future research and development tasks. The development of intelligent structural systems is strongly interconnected with the work areas of multifunctional materials, integration and application technologies, controller design and power electronics, modelling and simulation, and system reliability. The continuing revolution in multifunctional materials needed for actuating, sensing, and load supporting purposes seriously affects the performance of smart structure systems. In order to achieve a structurally compliant integration of multifunctional materials, efficient integration and application technologies are required. The work areas controller design and power electronics constitute the link between actuators and sensors. In order to efficiently address requirements of noise and vibration reduction in lightweight structures, model-based optimal controllers are used. The availability of exact system models and efficient computational tools is of vital importance for the optimisation of actuators, sensors and controller design. Due to the manifold interactions of adaptive structural systems, system reliability is another important technological focus of the Adaptronics Competence Network.

Highlights

The new generation of low-resistance wings, which require a laminar flow of air around them, have extremely high requirements with regard to surface quality. Especially the nose of the wing is of particular importance since even the smallest unevenness can lead to a disturbance of the laminar flow. In a kind of domino effect, this disturbance can then continue downwards, causing a considerable increase in resistance. For this reason, the network partners EADS IW and DLR are working together with Airbus within the Aerospace Research Program IV on a new generation of high-lift systems for the wing's leading edge that fulfil the high requirements for profile precision. The developed concept can be moved gap-free and continuously between the extended high-lift and clean configurations. Special attention has to be given to the skin, since it has to be elastically deformed while simultaneously being able to carry the air loads. Along with special design methods and skin materials, kinematics are necessary that can form the skin into its target shape without requiring constraining forces. Preparations are currently being made to manufacture a 1:1 ground demonstrator. It will be finished by the beginning of 2010 and will undergo a number of mechanical tests.