Flutter Test of Very Thin Plate

Geometric non linearity effect shows a significant effect on the flutter speed of a very thin plate, which helps to increase the bending and torsional stiffness of a very thin plate, resulting in a larger separation between bending and torsion frequencies. Therefore, a higher flutter speed is observed.

(Credit of wind tunnel: Virginia Tech AOE Department)

Details about the flat plate model can be found in:

Jitish Miglani, Wei Zhao, Siddhant Desai, Varakini Sanmugadas, Joseph A. Schetz, and Rakesh K. Kapania. "Analysis, Design, and Experiments of Metal Flat Plate and Foam Airfoil Flutter Test Articles." In AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum, AIAA-2021-1497. 2021. [Link]

A preprint of this work can be requested through weizhao(at)vt.edu or zhaowei0566(at)outlook.com

SSS
flutter_test_video_8mps.mp4

Flight Dynamics of Scaled X56A

The coupling of flight dynamics and aeroelasticity of flexible wing resulting in body freedom flutter. Please see more details in:

Schmidt, D., Zhao, W. and Kapania, R. K., “Flight-Dynamics and Flutter Analyses of a Flying-Wing Research Drone – Invited,” AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, AIAA SciTech 2016, San Diego, CA, AIAA 2016-1748, DOI: 10.2514/6.2016-1748

Zhao, W., Muthirevula, N., Kapania, R. K., Gupta, A., Regan, D. C. and Seiler, P. J., “A Subcomponent-based Finite Element Model Updating for a Composite Flying-wing Aircraft,” AIAA Atmosphere Flight Mechanics Conference, AIAA SciTech, Grapevine, TX, 2017, AIAA-2017-1393, DOI: 10.2514/6.2017-1393

20889504106_1080p.mp4

Flight test

zaero_bff_femv2p1_side.mp4

Simulation

Flutter Test of Truss-braced Wing Wind Tunnel Model

Flutter speed of a truss braced wing changed with the Angle of Attack

Zhao, W., Kapania, R. K., Schetz, J. A., Coggin, J. M., Allen, T. J. and Sexton, B. W. "Nonlinear Aeroelastic Analysis of SUGAR Truss-braced Wing Wind-tunnel Model Under In-plane Loads,'' 56th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/SC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference. AIAA SciTech, 2015, Kissimmee, Florida, AIAA 2015-1173

SUGAR TBW WTM Flutter test_Trim.mp4