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The automotive industry is continuously looking for innovative solutions to improve vehicle aerodynamics and efficiency. The research introduces a significant breakthrough in the field of automotive aerodynamics by employing shape memory alloys as bistable actuators for spoilers and moving flaps. The main novelty of this research lies in the development of a bistable actuator made of shape memory alloys as a precise and accurate control mechanism for spoilers and movable flaps. The shape memory alloys, with their unique ability to maintain two stable configurations and switch rapidly from one to the other in response to thermal or mechanical stimuli, allow precise and rapid adjustment of aerodynamic surfaces. The main advantage of this technology is its ability to improve vehicle aerodynamics by optimising both drag and downforce, thereby improving vehicle performance and fuel efficiency. This research shows the promising potential of a single composition of NiTi as a revolutionary technology in the automotive industry, revolutionising the way spoilers and moving flaps are used to achieve superior vehicle performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innovative approach used for the design and fabrication of a UAV tails through additive manufacturing (AM) completely changes the concept of designing and manufacturing products through conventional methods. AM based processes can reduces costs, lead times, and increases design freedom, allowing parts to be tailored to specific needs. A key benefit of AM processes is the ability to produce optimized designs with reduced mass and without compromising structural effectiveness. This is possible thanks to the combination of high‐performance AM materials and the extraordinary manufacturing capability of AM technologies combined with an appropriate design‐for‐additive manufacturing (DfAM) approach, overcoming traditional manufacturing techniques. This article presents the development process of a UAV tails, based on a Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) approach in order to reduce structural mass and guarantee safe operation under service loads. Therefore, by replacing the metallic component of the UAV with a techno‐polymeric one, several configurations have been developed. The optimal additive configuration achieved a weight reduction of 60% compared to a metal configuration of equivalent volume, without loss of mechanical properties. In conclusion, a feasibility study of the proposed configuration was carried out by 3D printing the vertical tail redesigned. Highlights: An innovative approach by combining DfAM processes with FFF technology.Metal replacement of UAV tails with advanced technopolymers.Efficient Weight Reduction about 60% compared to metal structure.Single‐piece design simplifies assembly and manufacturing.UAV redesigned tails with enhanced efficiency, adaptability, and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double–double (DD) laminates approach enables the design of mass‐minimized composite structures with number and orientation of plies tailored on the acting loads. Thus, the investigation of the crashworthiness capabilities is crucial in assessing the airworthiness of DD designed structures. In this work, two composite fuselage barrel configurations with conventional and DD designed frames have been compared to study their crashworthiness performance during an impact event. Numerical results highlight that configurations with DD optimized frames exhibit performance in terms of crashworthiness and passive safety for passengers comparable to the one with conventional designed frames while reducing the structure's total mass by up to 13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerically predicting the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured sandwich structures, particularly those produced through filament extrusion, poses a significant challenge. Existing collapse mechanisms, including interlayer debonding, lack comprehensive numerical formulation. This paper presents an improved finite element (FE) modeling approach for filament‐based additive processes. Utilizing the cohesive zone model (CZM), it incorporates a cohesive‐type contact to simulate critical layer interactions, such as the core‐face sheet interface. Validation against a literature‐referenced composite sandwich structure with designed for additive manufacturing honeycomb core demonstrates good agreement between the proposed numerical approach and experimental test data in compression and bending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of additive manufacturing techniques in the development of aerospace components is gaining ground. These innovative methodologies facilitate the proposal of new designs for components with weight reduced features without compromising their mechanical properties. This results in lower fuel consumption and emissions. The present paper focuses on a metal replacement process in a UAV's vertical tail, using a Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) strategy and making use of the lightweight, high‐strength engineering polymer known as carbon PA. By comparing the results achieved through numerical simulations conforming to certification standards between the metal and carbon PA vertical tail model, this work points out the possibility of decreasing the structural mass of the component by up to 48% while maintaining structural integrity. This reduction is achieved by matching materials, design concepts, and manufacturing capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passive safety in aircraft concerns all measures able to protect the passengers and crew in the event of an accident or emergency. In this context, an important role is played by the design adopted for components inside the passengers' cabin, such as the seats and the interior lining. An effective approach in design of passive safety system is provided by anthropomorphic test devices. In this work, a new design of the interior lining of the fuselage wall has been introduced and its crashworthiness features have been studied through a side impact of an unbelted window‐side passenger. The new proposed interior lining is made with a hybrid sandwich‐based design with a polypropylene honeycomb core able to ensure passive safety for passengers and thermal and acoustic insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supersonic aircraft is defined as aircraft that can travel at speeds above the speed of sound (M > 1). For these aircraft, correct dimensioning is essential to enable them to withstand the high aerodynamic loads they face. This study evaluates the impact of internal architecture, boundary conditions, and material on the dimensioning of the vertical tailplane when subjected to a gust load. The optimal configuration is the one that achieves a balance between weight and structural performance. Titanium alloy Ti 6AI‐4 V and carbon/carbon composites are selected as the most suitable materials for this application due to their known high‐temperature resistance. The best configuration, although it weighs 20% times more than the composite configuration, manages to achieve a reduction in tip displacement of 80%, significantly improving strength and instability performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of optimization procedures can provide a valuable contribution in optimizing the laminate design of composite components for mass minimization and mechanical performance maximization. Design for weight and strength requirements of composite structures can be efficiently provided with the newly developed double‐double laminates concept, which allows to overcome the conventional 0, 90, and ±45° ply orientations and symmetry requirements in laminates. In the double‐double designed components, composite laminates are made up stacking thin sub‐laminates with four [±Φ, ±Ψ] oriented plies without symmetry requirements. In the present paper, the lay‐up and thickness profile of the composite frames in a fuselage section have been redesigned according to the double‐double design concept taking into account the operating loads. The starting quad configuration has been replaced by an optimized double‐double configuration with suitable lay‐up and thickness profile for each of the frames, while achieving a reduction in the total components mass. Highlights: Double‐double laminates offer a novel approach to composite laminate design.Double‐doubles aim to simplify design with composites as with metals.Laminate optimization performed varying plies orientations and number.Double‐double design of components optimized with respect to the acting loads.In aviation double‐doubles allow lightening of composite laminate components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight structures with a high stiffness-to-weight ratio always play a significant role in weight reduction in the aerospace sector. The exploration of non-conventional structures for aerospace applications has been a point of interest over the past few decades. The adaptation of lattice structure and additive manufacturing in the design can lead to improvement in mechanical properties and significant weight reduction. The practicality of the non-conventional wing structure with lattices infilled as a replacement for the conventional spar–ribs wing is determined through finite element analysis. The optimal lattice-infilled wing structures are obtained via an automated iterative method using the commercial implicit modeling tool nTop and an ANSYS workbench. Among five different types of optimized lattice-infilled structures, the Kelvin lattice structure is considered the best choice for current applications, with comparatively minimal wing-tip deflection, weight, and stress. Furthermore, the stress distribution dependency on the lattice-unit cell type and arrangement is also established. Conclusively, the lattice-infilled structures have shown an alternative innovative design approach for lightweight wing structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphing surfaces are highly demanded in various engineering fields due to their numerous advantages including improving aerodynamics, increasing stability, and reducing drag. Various technologies can be used to achieve this purpose. This paper presents the results of implementing a mobile spoiler using a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. SMAs are commonly used as actuators since they can reversibly change their shape after the application of thermal or mechanical loads. This study explains the mechanism of spoiler displacement, detailing how a bistable linear actuator with a maximum stroke of 5 mm can facilitate spoiler displacement of approximately 40 mm through a well‐designed actuation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]