Design and fabrication of multifunctional aerodynamic structures using additive manufacturing

The recent advances of additive manufacturing are opening the doors for the development of novel applications in the aerospace field. One area of particular interest is the development and fabrication of multifunctional systems on aerospace systems. Here, printed electronics have been used to add neio functions such as sensing and acting onto novel 3D printed aircraft structural designs. The combination of both additive manufacturing techniques allows the fabrication of highly integrated vehicles such as unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs), drones, and aerodynamic wind tunnel models at low cost. In this paper, we present the development and fabrication of several multifunctional systems such as ice protection systems, structural health monitoring, and sensing surfaces among others deposited over 3D printed structures. In particular, we will discuss processing and manufacturing conditions for the development of aircraft wind tunnel models. This work has been funded by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate technology maturity as well as feasibility and viability of printed electronics for flying applications.