scholarly journals A Comprehensive Framework for Coupled Nonlinear Aeroelasticity and Flight Dynamics of Highly Flexible Aircrafts

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 949
Author(s):  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Zhou Zhou ◽  
Xiaoping Zhu ◽  
Lina Qiao

A framework to model and analyze the coupled nonlinear aeroelasticity and flight dynamics of highly flexible aircrafts is presented. The methodology is based on the dynamics of 3D co-rotational beams. The coupling of axial, bending and torsional effects is added to the stiffness and mass matrices of Euler–Bernoulli beam to capture the most relevant characteristics of a real wing structure. The finite-state aerodynamic model is coupled with the structural model to simulate the unsteady aerodynamics. A scheme of mixed end-point and mid-point time-marching algorithms is proposed and applied into the implicit predictor–corrector integration, where the end-point algorithm is used in the predictor step for efficiency and mid-point algorithm in corrector step for accuracy. The ground, body and airflow axes for flight dynamics are re-defined by the global and elemental ones for structural dynamics, followed by the redefinitions of local Euler angles and airflow angles of each element. The framework can be used for quick analyses of flexible aircrafts in conceptual and preliminary design phases, including linear and nonlinear trim, aerodynamic load estimation, stability assessment, time-domain simulations and flight performance evaluations. The results show the payload mass and its distributions will significantly affect the trim state and longitudinal stability of highly flexible aircrafts.

Author(s):  
Huatao Chen ◽  
Kun Zhao ◽  
Juan L.G. Guirao ◽  
Dengqing Cao

AbstractFor the entry guidance problem of hypersonic gliding vehicles (HGVs), an analytical predictor–corrector guidance method based on feedback control of bank angle is proposed. First, the relative functions between the velocity, bank angle and range-to-go are deduced, and then, the analytical relation is introduced into the predictor–corrector algorithm, which is used to replace the traditional method to predict the range-to-go via numerical integration. To eliminate the phugoid trajectory oscillation, a method for adding the aerodynamic load feedback into the control loop of the bank angle is proposed. According to the quasi-equilibrium gliding condition, the function of the quasi-equilibrium glide load along with the velocity variation is derived. For each guidance period, the deviation between the real-time load and the quasi-equilibrium gliding load is revised to obtain a smooth reentry trajectory. The simulation results indicate that the guidance algorithm can adapt to the mission requirements of different downranges, and it also has the ability to guide the vehicle to carry out a large range of lateral maneuvers. The feedback control law of the bank angle effectively eliminates the phugoid trajectory oscillation and guides the vehicle to complete a smooth reentry flight. The Monte Carlo test indicated that the guidance precision and robustness are good.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Goulos ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis ◽  
Pericles Pilidis

This paper presents a mathematical model for the simulation of rotor blade flexibility in real-time helicopter flight dynamics applications that also employs sufficient modeling fidelity for prediction of structural blade loads. A matrix/vector-based formulation is developed for the treatment of elastic blade kinematics in the time domain. A novel, second-order-accurate, finite-difference scheme is employed for the approximation of the blade motion derivatives. The proposed method is coupled with a finite-state induced-flow model, a dynamic wake distortion model, and an unsteady blade element aerodynamics model. The integrated approach is deployed to investigate trim controls, stability and control derivatives, nonlinear control response characteristics, and structural blade loads for a hingeless rotor helicopter. It is shown that the developed methodology exhibits modeling accuracy comparable to that of non-real-time comprehensive rotorcraft codes. The proposed method is suitable for real-time flight simulation, with sufficient fidelity for simultaneous prediction of oscillatory blade loads.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (06) ◽  
pp. 1871006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaobin Niu ◽  
Zhongwei Wang

In this paper, a new modified harmonic balance method is presented for the nonlinear aeroelastic analysis of two degree-of-freedom airfoils. Using this method, the nonlinear problem is first translated into a minimization problem, and the Particle Swarm Optimization which has high calculation efficiency is adopted to solve the problem. The proposed method is used to solve the nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of supersonic airfoil, with the unsteady aerodynamic load evaluated by the piston theory. Three examples of nonlinear aeroelasticity with significantly different coefficients are prepared, in which the frequencies and amplitudes of the limit cycles are obtained. The results show that the present current method is computationally more efficient.


Author(s):  
Fei Cen ◽  
Qing Li ◽  
Zhitao Liu ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Yong Jiang

Loss-of-control has become the largest fatal accident category for worldwide commercial jet accidents, and any initiative aimed at preventing such events requires an understanding of the fundamental aircraft behavior, especially the flight dynamics at post-stall region at which loss-of-control usually occurred. A series of low-speed static and dynamic wind tunnel tests of the Common Research Model over a large angle of attack/sideslip envelope was conducted and a non-linear aerodynamic model was developed. The bifurcation analysis, complemented by time-history simulation was used to understand the post-stall flight dynamics and the numerical analysis results were preliminary validated by wind tunnel virtual flight test. Several representative post-stall behaviors for the transport aircraft have been identified, including departure, periodic oscillation, post-stall gyration and steep spiral, etc. Furthermore, the predicted periodic oscillation in pitch motion has been perfectly duplicated in wind tunnel virtual flight test. The approach used in this work shows a promising way to uncover the flight dynamics of transport aircraft at extreme and loss-of-control flight conditions, as well as to apply to nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics modeling and validation, flight accident investigation, advanced flight control law design or studying initiative for loss-of-control prevention or mitigation.


Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Thomas ◽  
Earl H. Dowell ◽  
Kenneth C. Hall

Presented is a frequency domain harmonic balance (HB) technique for modeling nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics of three-dimensional transonic inviscid flows about wing configurations. The method can be used to model efficiently nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic forces due to finite amplitude motions of a prescribed unsteady oscillation frequency. When combined with a suitable structural model, aeroelastic (fluid-structure), analyses may be performed at a greatly reduced cost relative to time marching methods to determine the limit cycle oscillations (LCO) that may arise. As a demonstration of the method, nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic response and limit cycle oscillation trends are presented for the AGARD 445.6 wing configuration. Computational results based on the inviscid flow model indicate that the AGARD 445.6 wing configuration exhibits only mildly nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic effects for relatively large amplitude motions. Furthermore, and most likely a consequence of the observed mild nonlinear aerodynamic behavior, the aeroelastic limit cycle oscillation amplitude is predicted to increase rapidly for reduced velocities beyond the flutter boundary. This is consistent with results from other time-domain calculations. Although not a configuration that exhibits strong LCO characteristics, the AGARD 445.6 wing nonetheless serves as an excellent example for demonstrating the HB/LCO solution procedure.


Author(s):  
S. Schreck ◽  
M. Robinson

To further reduce the cost of wind energy, future turbine designs will continue to migrate toward lighter and more flexible structures. Thus, the accuracy and reliability of aerodynamic load prediction has become a primary consideration in turbine design codes. Dynamically stalled flows routinely generated during yawed operation are powerful and potentially destructive, as well as complex and difficult to model. As a prerequisite to aerodynamics model improvements, wind turbine dynamic stall must be characterized in detail and thoroughly understood. In the current study, turbine blade surface pressure data and local inflow data acquired by the NREL Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment during the NASA Ames wind tunnel experiment were analyzed. The dynamically stalled, vortex dominated flow field responded in systematic fashion to variations in wind speed, turbine yaw angle, and radial location, forming the basis for more thorough comprehension of wind turbine dynamic stall and improved modeling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 91 ◽  
pp. 102744
Author(s):  
Claudia Fernandez-Escudero ◽  
Miguel Gagnon ◽  
Eric Laurendeau ◽  
Sebastien Prothin ◽  
Guilhem Michon ◽  
...  

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