Academic Year 2020/2021

Aeroelasticity
Ex. 7 - 2 DOF Aeroelastic System with Theodorsen Aerodynamics
and Flutter via the pk-Method - 4/12/2020 - 11/12/2020

Ex. 7a: Theodorsen Unsteady Aerodynamics

Let us consider the typical section in Fig. 1. In particular,

• P is the shear center. C is the center of mass. Q is the aerodynamic center. T is the three-quarter
chord. xθ = e − a. The chord, c, is 2b.

• h and θ are the plunge and pitching degrees of freedom. kh and kθ are the spring stiffness values. ωh
and ωθ are the uncoupled natural frequencies at zero airspeed. U is the airspeed.

• m is the mass of the structure. IP is the moment of inertia with respect to P . IC is the moment of
inertia with respect to C, i.e. IP = IC + mb2 x2θ .

Figure 1: Typical Section.

The equations of motion of the typical section including the Theodorsen Aerodynamics are the following:

m(ḧ + bxθ θ̈) + kh h = −L

(1)
IP θ̈ + mbxθ ḧ + kθ θ = b(1/2 + a)L + M1/4

With h i
L = 2πρ∞ bU C(k) U θ + ḣ + b(1/2 − a)θ̇ + πρ∞ b2 (ḧ + U θ̇ − baθ̈)
h i (2)
M1/4 = −πρ∞ b3 ḧ/2 + U θ̇ + b(1/8 − a/2)θ̈
where k = ωb/U is the reduced frequency and C(k) is the Theodorsen function.

1. Rewrite the equation of motions as

(M − M a )ẍ − C a ẋ + (K − K a )x = 0 (3)

1
 2. Prove that the determinant of the pk-Method under the Theodorsen aerodynamics is the following:
 
 p2 + (σ/V )2 − k2 /µ + 2ikC(k)/µ
 2 
p µxθ + k(i + ak) + (2 + ik(1 − 2a))C(k) /µ
 

  
 p2 µxθ + ak2 − ik(1 + 2a)C(k) /µ 2 2 2
  
8µr (p + 1/V ) + 4i(1 + 2a)(2i − k(1 − 2a))C(k) − k(k − 4i + 8a(i + ak)) /(8µ) 
 

(4)

3. Using script 7.m, compare the flutter conditions with those computed in Ex. 6b.

Ex. 7b: Decay rate

Prove that the adimensional eigenvalue (p) can be defined as

p = γk + ik (5)

where γ is the decay rate of the oscillations, i.e.,

1 Xt+T
γ= log (6)
2π Xt

Ex. 7c: Influence of design parameters and flight level on flutter

conditions
Via 7.m, compute the flutter velocity for the following cases.
Assessments

1. Influence of the mass ratio: σ = 1/3; r = 0.5, xθ = 0; a = -0.25; µ = 10, 20, 30, 50, 100.

2. Influence of the frequency ratio: µ = 10; r=0.5, xθ = 0.18; a = -0.2; σ = 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.

3. Influence of the position of center of mass: µ = 10; σ = 1/3; r = 0.5, a = 0.0; e = -0.2, -0.1, 0, 0.1, 0.2.