Aeroelasticity

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Static and dynamic aeroelastic effects and their impact on aircraft design process
• The role played by different disciplines within the context of aero-servo-elasticity
• Analytical and computational methods for aeroelastic analysis
• Setup, analyse, and critically discuss problems of practical use

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Solve problems systematically
• Demonstrate study and time management skills
• Study and learn independently

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Comprehend assumptions underlying industrial aircraft design and motivate needs for enhanced simulations
• Sustain a critical analysis of aeroelasticity in the context of next-generation aircraft
• Derive from first principle the differential equations governing aeroelastic phenomena
• Critically evaluate the practical feasibility of unconventional aerial configurations

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Study and learn independently
• Critically examine the solution of numerical problems against acquired knowledge
• Appreciate practical engineering solutions to deal with aeroelasticity and their impact on overall aircraft performances
• Solve problems using analytical and computational tools

The topics to be covered will include static and dynamic aeroelastic stability and response, and unsteady aerodynamics for fixed-wing aircraft. Several aspects of the aeroelastic problem will also be explored for high-altitude long endurance vehicles, and wind tunnel tests. Finally, aero-servo-elasticity will be presented as a mean of modifying the aeroelastic behaviour of the system by introduction of control forces.

Introduction:

Module presentation: content introduction, formative and summative assessment, computer and practical laboratories, background material and suggested revisions, and overview of aircraft structures.

Structural Dynamics:

Review of single and multi-degree of freedom mechanical systems; analytical and numerical solution of ordinary and partial differential equations; discrete and continuous structural models; variational principles to derive equations of motions; modal approach.

Static Aeroelasticity:

Static divergence of an aerofoil section and a cantilever wing; aileron reversal and aileron effectiveness for an aerofoil section and a cantilever wing; effects of wing sweep angle and compressibility; structural design features to minimise adverse static aeroelastic effects.

Unsteady Aerodynamics:

Governing equations for viscous, inviscid, potential and transonic small disturbance flows; unsteady vortex lattice method and doublet lattice method; piston theory for supersonic flows; finite state aerodynamic modelling.

Dynamic Aeroelasticity:

Dynamic aeroelastic phenomena for an aerofoil section and a cantilever wing; effects of flexibility on wing loads; response to deterministic and stochastic external excitations; engineering solutions to the flutter problem; linear and nonlinear aeroelastic phenomena and available methods.

Aero-servo-elasticity:

Introduction to classic control theory based on feedback control; servo actuators; modern control theory; adverse aeroelastic interactions; active gust and manoeuvre loads alleviation.

Experimental Aeroelasticity:

Measurement of structural influence coefficients; ground resonance testing; measurement of inertia and structural damping; wind tunnel techniques for the measurement of oscillatory derivatives; similarity requirements for flutter model testing; model construction; wind tunnel flutter tests; flight flutter tests.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching activities include 36 hours of taught lectures which include 2 hours of seminar given by an external speaker from a major aerospace industry. Learning activities include directed reading and problem solving.

The module will also include computer and experimental laboratories. The coursework assignment will assess the student knowledge and ability to critically analyse a problem of practical interest using a combination of analytical and computational techniques.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Module Book. Complementary to standard textbooks, a set of lecture notes written in the form of a book will serve as an excellent reference. This accompanies presentation slides that will be uploaded regularly on Blackboard.

Textbooks

J.R. Wright and J.E. Cooper, (2007). Introduction to Aircraft Aeroelasticity and Loads. John Wiley & Sons.

Pascual Marqués (Editor), Andrea Da Ronch (Editor) (2017). Advanced UAV Aerodynamics, Flight Stability and Control: Novel Concepts, Theory and Applications. Wiley.

R.L. Bisplinghoff, H. Ashley, and R.L. Halfman (1955). Aeroelasticity. Dover.

D.H.Hodges and G.A. Pierce (2014). Introduction to Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity. Cambridge University Press.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External