Non-linear aeroelastic analysis in the time domain of high-aspect-ratio wings: Effect of chord and taper-ratio variation

A. Suleman, F. Afonso, J. Vale, E. Oliveira, F. Lau

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Commercial jets usually have relatively low-aspect-ratio wings, in spite of the associated benefits of increasing the wing aspect-ratio, such as higher lift-to-drag ratios and ranges. This is partially explained by the fact that the wing becomes more flexible by increasing the aspect-ratio that results in higher deflections which can cause aeroelastic instability problems such as flutter. An aeroelastic computational framework capable of evaluating the effects of geometric non-linearities on the aeroelastic performance of high-aspect-ratio wings has been developed and validated using numerical and experimental data. In this work, the aeroelastic performance of a base wing model with 20 m span and 1 m chord is analysed and the effect of changing the wing chord or the taper-ratio is determined. The non-linear static aeroelastic equilibrium solutions are compared in terms of drag polar, root bending moment and natural frequencies, and the change in the flutter speed boundary is assessed as a function of aspect-ratio using a time-marching approach.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)21-53
Number of pages33
JournalAeronautical Journal
Volume121
Issue number1235
Early online date20 Sept 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Jan 2017

Keywords

  • aeroelasticity
  • aircraft design
  • and taper-ratio variation
  • high-aspect-ratio
  • non-linear aeroelasticity
  • wing chord

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