Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing

VFAs (very flexible aircraft) have begun to attract significant attention because of their good flight performances and significant application potentials; however, they also bring some challenges to researchers due to their unusual lightweight designs and large elastic deformations. A framework for...

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Main Authors: Changchuan Xie, Yi Liu, Chao Yang, J. E. Cooper
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Shock and Vibration
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5090719
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author Changchuan Xie
Yi Liu
Chao Yang
J. E. Cooper
author_facet Changchuan Xie
Yi Liu
Chao Yang
J. E. Cooper
author_sort Changchuan Xie
collection DOAJ
description VFAs (very flexible aircraft) have begun to attract significant attention because of their good flight performances and significant application potentials; however, they also bring some challenges to researchers due to their unusual lightweight designs and large elastic deformations. A framework for the geometrically nonlinear aeroelastic stability analysis of very flexible wings is constructed in this paper to illustrate the unique aeroelastic characteristics and convenient use of these designs in engineering analysis. The nonlinear aeroelastic analysis model includes the geometrically nonlinear structure finite elements and steady and unsteady nonplanar aerodynamic computations (i.e., the nonplanar vortex lattice method and nonplanar doublet-lattice method). Fully nonlinear methods are used to analyse static aeroelastic features, and linearized structural dynamic equations are established at the structural nonlinear equilibrium state to estimate the stability of the system through the quasimode of the stressed and deformed structure. The exact flutter boundary is searched via an iterative procedure. A wind tunnel test is conducted to validate this theoretical analysis framework, and reasonable agreement is obtained. Both the analysis and test results indicate that the geometric nonlinearity of very flexible wings presents significantly different aeroelastic characteristics under different load cases with large deformations.
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series Shock and Vibration
spelling doaj-art-cec85107d8724e4c8e863b97f4b5f7262025-08-20T02:19:30ZengWileyShock and Vibration1070-96221875-92032016-01-01201610.1155/2016/50907195090719Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible WingChangchuan Xie0Yi Liu1Chao Yang2J. E. Cooper3School of Aeronautics Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Aeronautics Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Aeronautics Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKVFAs (very flexible aircraft) have begun to attract significant attention because of their good flight performances and significant application potentials; however, they also bring some challenges to researchers due to their unusual lightweight designs and large elastic deformations. A framework for the geometrically nonlinear aeroelastic stability analysis of very flexible wings is constructed in this paper to illustrate the unique aeroelastic characteristics and convenient use of these designs in engineering analysis. The nonlinear aeroelastic analysis model includes the geometrically nonlinear structure finite elements and steady and unsteady nonplanar aerodynamic computations (i.e., the nonplanar vortex lattice method and nonplanar doublet-lattice method). Fully nonlinear methods are used to analyse static aeroelastic features, and linearized structural dynamic equations are established at the structural nonlinear equilibrium state to estimate the stability of the system through the quasimode of the stressed and deformed structure. The exact flutter boundary is searched via an iterative procedure. A wind tunnel test is conducted to validate this theoretical analysis framework, and reasonable agreement is obtained. Both the analysis and test results indicate that the geometric nonlinearity of very flexible wings presents significantly different aeroelastic characteristics under different load cases with large deformations.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5090719
spellingShingle Changchuan Xie
Yi Liu
Chao Yang
J. E. Cooper
Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
Shock and Vibration
title Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
title_full Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
title_fullStr Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
title_full_unstemmed Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
title_short Geometrically Nonlinear Aeroelastic Stability Analysis and Wind Tunnel Test Validation of a Very Flexible Wing
title_sort geometrically nonlinear aeroelastic stability analysis and wind tunnel test validation of a very flexible wing
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5090719
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AT yiliu geometricallynonlinearaeroelasticstabilityanalysisandwindtunneltestvalidationofaveryflexiblewing
AT chaoyang geometricallynonlinearaeroelasticstabilityanalysisandwindtunneltestvalidationofaveryflexiblewing
AT jecooper geometricallynonlinearaeroelasticstabilityanalysisandwindtunneltestvalidationofaveryflexiblewing