Morphing hulls

"Mid¿ is proposing to investigate the use of morphing structures to achieve hull forms that can perform optimally underwater and on the surface. Using our extensive experience with large strain materials, Mid¿ will examine in Phase I the feasibility ofhull structures to morph from symmetric shapes for underwater operations and non-symmetric shaped hulls for surface operations. The symmetric underwater shapes will minimize drag and depth control requirements while the non-symmetric surface shapes willallow the submersible to operate at high speed and low drag on the surface.The primary focus of Phase I will be the morphing of the hull structure while considering the need to house/contain a suite of sensors in the hull structure. CFD codes andstructural finite element codes will be used to determine the amount of morphing that can be achieved and the performance that it will provide. In Phase II prototypes will be built to demonstrate the feasibility of the innovation. The most significantbenefits are increase in range, reduced fuel consumption and stealth. Morphing structures also have aerospace applications. UAVs, aircraft launched missiles and gun launched projectiles can benefit from the technology. Structures that can achieve largeshape changes can create a profitable line of toys."