AAE556

Lectures 34,35
The p-k method, a modern
alternative to V-g

Purdue Aeroelasticity 1
 Genealogy of the V-g or “k”
method
 Equations of motion for harmonic response (next
slide)
– Forcing frequency and airspeed are known parameters
– Reduced frequency k is determined from w and V
– Equations are correct at all values of w and V.
 Take away the harmonic applied forcing function
– Equations are only true at the flutter point
– We have an eigenvalue problem
– Frequency and airspeed are unknowns, but we still need k to
define the numbers to compute the elements of the
eigenvalue problem
– We invented V-g artificial damping to create an iterative
approach to finding the flutter point
Purdue Aeroelasticity 2
 Equation #2, moment equilibrium

 h  w 2
 h
w x    w r   w r  
2 2 2 2 2
 M  M h   0
b   b
1  1
2
 1 1 
M   M     a   L  M h     a  Lh M h     a  Lh
2  2  2 2 
Divide by w2
h  2 w2 2 1 h
 x    r   2 r    M  M h   0
b w  b

Include structural damping

h  2 w2 1 h
 x    r   2 1  ig  r    M  M h   0
2

b w  b
3
Purdue Aeroelasticity
 The eigenvalue problem
 wh2  
2  2 
0  h   1 x  h 
  w      x r 2   
b b
 0 2          
 r 

  1    h 
1 h   
L L   a  Lh    b   0 
    2      

     
0
 M  h M 

 w2  
h   2  0    1     h 
w   1 x  1  Lh 
  2
L  a  Lh     b 
 2  b    h         
  
 1    x r 2   
 0 
2 
 M  h M      
 r 

4
Purdue Aeroelasticity
 Return to the EOM’s before we
assumed harmonic motion
Here is what we would like to have

 M ij   j    Kij   j    Aij1   j    Aij 2   j    Aij3   j   0

     

The first step in solving the general stability problem

 j  j
   e pt
p    jw
p 2  M ij   j    Kij   j    Aij    j 
1

 p  Aij    j   p 2  Aij    j   0

2 3

Purdue Aeroelasticity 25-5

 The p-k method casts the flutter
problem in the following form

 1 
p  M ij     p  Bij       K ij   V 2  Aij      0
2

 2 

p    jw h 
    
 t   e pt
   b e pt

  
…but first, some preliminaries

Purdue Aeroelasticity 6
 Setting up an alternative solution
scheme

h x Kh h P
  
b b m b mb

x h I K Ma
 2
  2  2
b b mb mb mb

 Kh   P 
1 x   h   0  h 
    m    mb 
 x I   b     b    
2  
  0 K     M a 

 mb     2  
 mb   mb 2 
Purdue Aeroelasticity
7
 The expanded equations

K   P 
1 x   h   h 0  h 
    m    mb 
 x I   b     b    
 K     M a 
 mb 2     0 
2  
 mb   mb 2 
K 
1 x   h   h 0  h
    m  
I   b    b 
 x  K   
 mb 2     0  
 mb 2 
  1   
  h
L   2
L   a  h
L  
 b w 
4 2
     h b 
 2  
mb 2  1  1     1  1   1    
    a  Lh   M    L    a   Lh   a     
 2  2     2  2  2   

Purdue Aeroelasticity
8
 Break into real and imaginary
parts
  1   
  L h    2
L   a  h
L 
 b w 
3 2
    
mb  1  1     1  1   1 
2 

    a  Lh   M    L    a   Lh   a   
 2  2     2  2  2   
  1   
  L h    2
L   a  h
L 
 b w
3 2
     
 Real   2 
mb 
   a L
1  1     1  1   1   
  2  2  h   M    L    a   Lh   a    
     2  2  2    
  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
  b w 
3 2
     
  jImag   2 
 mb    1   1  a  L    1  1   1   
  2  2  h  M    L    a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
Purdue Aeroelasticity
9
 Recognize the mass ratio

  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
w 2
     
 Real   2 
   1   1  a  L    1  1  1   
  2  2  h  M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
w 
2
     
  jImag   2 
     1   1  a  L    1  1   1   
  2  2  h  M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    

Purdue Aeroelasticity
10
 Multiply and divide real part by dynamic
pressure
Multiply imaginary part by p/jw

  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
1   2k 
2
     
  V 2   2 
Real  2 
2    b    1   1  a  L   1  1  1   
  2  2  h  M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
  1   
  Lh   L   2  a  Lh  
 w  p 
2
     
 j   Imag  2 
   jw  
    a  L
1 1    1  1   1   
  2  2  h   M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    

Purdue Aeroelasticity 11
 Multiply and divide imaginary
part by Vb/Vb

  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
1   2k 
2
     
  V 2   2 
Real  2 
2    b  
  1   1  a  L   1  1  1   
  2  2  M    L     a   Lh   a   
 h
  
  2  2  2    
  1   
  h
L   2
L   a  h
L 
V  k       
 p    Imag   2 
 b    
    a  L
1 1    1  1   1   
  2  2  h   M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
 Define Aij and Bij matrices

  1   
  Lh  
  2
L  a  Lh  
V  k 
2 2
     
 Aij    2    Real   2 
 b      1   1  a  L    1  1  1   
  2  2  h  M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
  1   
  h
L   2
L   a  h
L 
V  k       
 Bij      Imag   2 
 b      1   1  a  L  M   L  1   1  a   L  1  a    

  2  2  h        h   
     2   2   2    
 Place aero parts into EOM’s
Note the minus signs
h  0 
 p  M ij   p  Bij    K ij  Aij    b    
2
      
   0 

  1   
  Lh   L   2  a  Lh  
V   k 
2 2
     
 Aij         Real   2 
 b        
    1   1  a  L   1  1   1
  2  2  h  M    L     a   Lh   a    
     2  2  2    
  1   
  Lh    2
L   a  h
L 
V  k       
 Bij       Imag   2 
 b    
    a  L
1 1    1  1   1   
  2  2  h   M    L     a   Lh   a   
     2  2  2    
 What are the features of the new
EOM’s?
h  0 
 p  M ij   p  Bij    K ij  Aij    b    
2
      
   0 

 We still need k defined before we can

evaluate the matrices
 Airspeed, V, appears.
 The EOM is no longer complex
 We can calculate the eigenvalue, p, to
determine stability
 The p-k problem solution
h  0 
 p  M ij   p  Bij    K ij  Aij    b    
2
 
   0 
h  0 
 p  M ij   p  Bij    Kij    b    
2
      
   0 

 Choose k=wb/V arbitrarily

 Choose altitude (, and airspeed (V)
 Mach number is now known (when appropriate)
 Compute AIC’s from Theodorsen formulas or others
 Compute aero matrices-Bij and Aij matrices are real
 Convert “p-k” equation to first-order state vector form
 A state vector contains
displacement and velocity “states”

displacement vector   x j 

velocity vector  v j    x j 

ìï x j ü ïï
ï
State vector = {z j }= í ý
ïïî v j ïïþ
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 Relationship between state
vector elements
{x j }= {v j } An equation of motion with
damping becomes

éM ij ù{v j }- éBij ù{v j }+ éK ij ù{x j }= {0}

êë ú û êë ú û êë ú û
- 1 - 1
{v j }= - éM ij ù éK ij ù{x j }+ éM ij ù
éBij ù{v j }
êë ú û êë ú û êë ú
êë ú û û
éé ùé ùùìï x j ü
ïï
{v j }= êêë-
- 1 - 1
ï
éM ij ù éK ij ùúêéM ij ù éBij ùúúí ý
êë ú û êë ú ûûëêë ú û êë ú ûûûï v j ï
ë ïî ïþ
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 Use an identify relationship
for the other equations
ìï x j ü
ïï é0 0 1 0ùìïï x j ü
ïï
ï
{z j }= íï v ýï = ê úí ý = é[0][I ]{
ù zi }
êë0 0 0 1ú ï v ï ë û
îï j þ ï ûîï ïþj

19
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 State vector eigenvalue
equation
ìï x j ü
ïï é [0] [I ] ùìï x j ü
ï ê úï ïï = éQij ù{z j }
{z j }= íï v ýï = êé- M - 1K ù M - 1Búíï v ý êë ú û
ïî j ïþ êëêë ú ú ï
î j ïïþ
û û
Assume a solution z(t)  ze st

Result {z j }= p {z j }= éQij ù{z j }

êë ú û
Solve for eigenvalues (p) of the [Q] matrix (the plant)
Plot results as a function of airspeed

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 1st order problem

 Mass matrix is
diagonal if we
use modal  0 
I
approach – so Qij    1 1 
too is structural
  M K M B
stiffness matrix
 Compute p roots
 Kij     Kij    Aij  
– Roots are  
either real
(positive or
negative)
– Complex
{z j }= p {z j }= éQij ù{z j }
conjugate êë ú û
pairs
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 Eigenvalue roots
p  preal  jpimaginary
p  w g  j 
 wg is the estimated system damping
 There are “m” computed values of w at the
airspeed V
 You chose a value of k=wb/V, was it correct?
– “line up” the frequencies to make sure k, w and V
are consistent
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 Procedure

Input k and V
Compute pi  wi g i  j 
eigenvalues
No, change k
wi b
ki  kinput   ? ki 
V
yes preal  wig i Repeat
process for
pimaginary  wi each w
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 P-k advantages
 Liningup frequencies eliminates need
for matching flutter speed to Mach
number and altitude
 p-k approach generates an
approximation to the actual system
aerodynamic damping near flutter
 p-k approach finds flutter speeds of
configurations with rigid body modes

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