AOE 3124 – Spring 2001

Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 1 of 6

An Introduction

REFERENCES
Bisplinghoff, Ashley, and Halfman. Aeroelasticity1 , 1983, pp.1-3.

DEFINITIONS
Aeroelasticity :
• aeroelastic problems would not exist if airplane structures where perfectly rigid.
• many important aeroelastic phenomena involve inertia forces as well as aerodynamic and
elastic forces.

Static Aeroelasticity :
Science which studies the mutual interaction between aerodynamic forces and elastic forces, and
the influence of this interaction on airplane design.

Dynamic Aeroelasticity :
Phenomena involving interactions of inertial, aerodynamic, and elastic forces.

Collar diagram :
Describes the aeroelastic phenomena by means of a triangle of forces

L
DS
D
R
F B Z

E I

A − Aeroelastic force
E − Elastic force
I − Inertial force
1
Almost all definitions and equations presented in this handout are directly taken out of this reference.
AOE 3124 – Spring 2001
Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 2 of 6
An Introduction

DYNAMIC AEROELASTICITY - Phenomena involving all three type of forces:

• F – Flutter: dynamic instability occurring for aircraft in flight at a speed called flutter
speed
• B – Buffeting: transient vibrations of aircraft structural components due to aerodynamic
impulses produced by wake behind wings, nacelles, fuselage pods, or other components of
the airplane
• Z – Dynamic response: transient response of aircraft structural components produced
by rapidly applied loads due to gusts, landing, gun reactions, abrupt control motions, and
moving shock waves

STATIC AEROELASTICITY - Phenomena involving only elastic and aerodynamic forces:

• L – Load distribution: influence of elastic deformations of the structure on the distri-
bution of aerodynamic pressures over the structure
• D – Divergence: a static instability of a lifting surface of an aircraft in flight, at a speed
called the divergence speed, where elasticity of the lifting surface plays an essential role in
the instability.
• R – Control system reversal: A condition occurring in flight, at a speed called the
control reversal speed, at which the intended effect of displacing a given component of the
control system are completely nullified by elastic deformations of the structure.

RELATED FIELDS :
• V – Mechanical vibrations
• DS – Rigid-body aerodynamic stability
AOE 3124 – Spring 2001
Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 3 of 6
Divergence analysis of a rigid wing segment

REFERENCES
Bisplinghoff, Ashley, and Halfman. Aeroelasticity, 1983, pp. 421-424.

TERMINOLOGY
Let’s consider a section of the wing:

EA

CG

AC

AC
CG
EA

d
e
c

AC Aerodynamic center
point about which the pitching moment MAC is independent of angle of attack α. Usually close
to quarter chord, (0.25 c)

CG Center of Gravity
point of location of the net weight of the body.

EA Elastic axis
located by drawing a spanwise line through the shear centers of the cross sections of the beam
AOE 3124 – Spring 2001
Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 4 of 6
Divergence analysis of a rigid wing segment

Mo
α

V κ

Neglect drag :
L
1
D
GJ
K –Rotational spring stiffness. Represents L
of the real elastic wing

α – angle of attack relative to zero lift angle

Assume small angles

tan α ≈ α sin α ≈ α cos α ≈ 1

α = α0 + θ
α0 – rigid angle of attack; initial wing incidence; angle if no aero- or gravity loads were present.
θ – angle due to elastic deformation

L –Lift force, primarily produced by pressure forces on vehicle surface

L = q S C`
q = 0.5 ρ V 2 : is the dynamic pressure
ρ – fluid density
V – aircraft’s speed

S = c b : is the wing planform area

c – chord
b – span

C` = a0 α : is the dimensionless lift coefficient

a0 = ∂∂α
C`
is the lift curve slope (assumed constant between stall points)
AOE 3124 – Spring 2001
Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 5 of 6
Divergence analysis of a rigid wing segment

MAC –Wing pitching moment about the aerodynamic center

MAC = q S c CmAC
q = 0.5 ρ V 2 : is the dynamic pressure

S = c b : is the wing planform area

CmAC : is the dimensionless pitching moment coefficient about the AC independent of α

EQUILIBRIUM
P
Take  of moments about EA:

| {zα} +MAC − d W cos

e L cos | {zα} −K θ = 0
≈1 ≈1
 
∂ C`
eqS α + q S c CmAC − d W − K (α − α0 ) = 0
∂α
Rearranging,
   
∂ C`
eqS − K α = d W − q S c CmAC − K α0 (1)
∂α
 
∂ C`
 
qS e
∂α  α = α0 − d W − q S c CmAC

1 − (2)
 K  K K

DIVERGENCE
Let’s define the divergence dynamic pressure

K
qD =   (3)
∂ C`
S e
∂α
AOE 3124 – Spring 2001
Aerospace Structures Aeroelasticity Page 6 of 6
Divergence analysis of a rigid wing segment

Now eq. (2) can be rewritten as

 
dW q K S c CmAC
α0 − +  
K qD ∂ C` K
S e
∂α
α = q (4)
1−
qD
 
dW q c CmAC
α0 − +  
K qD e ∂ C`
∂α
α = q (5)
1−
qD

q/qD

0 α
α0 – Wd/K

The plot of q/qD versus α shows that α → ∞ as q → qD for 0 < q < qD .

In reality the wing will stall or twist off due to strength failure.

The divergence speed is calculated from the divergence dynamic pressure:

r
1 2 qD
qD = ρ VD2 ⇒ VD = (6)
2 ρ
Divergence corresponds to a static instability. At V = VD we get excessive rotation.