SEMI-ANALYTICAL REDUCED-ORDER MODELS FOR THE AEROELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF SUBSONIC FLEXIBLE WINGS VIA GENERALISED PLATE AND BEAM FORMULATIONS

Abstract eng:
Semi-analytical reduced-order models for the combined aeroelastic analysis and gust response of flexible subsonic wings with arbitrary aspect ratio are presented. Both a thin plate and a slender beam are considered as the linear structural dynamics models, within a generalised formulation. A modified strip theory is proposed for modelling the wing unsteady aerodynamics in incompressible flow, accounting for the three-dimensional effects on both spanwise decay and build-up of the airload. Peters’ in-flow theory is adopted for calculating the two-dimensional unsteady airload around each morphing wing section, standard and tuned strip theories being readily resumed for comparison and completeness. Considering straight elliptical and trapezoidal planforms, approximate lift-deficiency functions for both a unit step-change in the angle of attack and a unit sharp-edged gust are then employed in place of classic Theodorsen/Wagner’s and Sears/Kussner’s functions, respectively. A modal approach is finally adopted to write the generalised equations of motion in state-space form, for both plate-based and beam-based formulations. Numerical results are then obtained and critically discussed for the aeroelastic stability analysis of a uniform rectangular wing, with respect relevant aerodynamic and structural parameters. Due to computational efficiency and theoretical insight, the proposed generalised formulation is suggested as an effective aeroelastic tool for the preliminary multidisciplinary design and optimisation (MDO) of flexible wings in the low-subsonic regime, as characterised by incompressible flow.

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