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
i 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.
i 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

2  h  2 2 2 2  2
 h
 x     r    r    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 2 2 1 h
 x    r   2 r    M   M  h   0
b   b

Include structural damping

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

b   b
3
Purdue Aeroelasticity
 The eigenvalue problem
 h2  
2  2 
0  h   1 x  h 
    b b
    x 2
r    
 0 r 2       
  

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

 2  
h   2  0    1     h 
   1 x  1  Lh  L   2  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    K ij   j    Aij1   j    Aij2   j    Aij3   j   0

     

The first step in solving the general stability problem

     e
j j
pt
p    j
p2 Mij   j    Kij   j    Aij1   j 

 p  Aij 2   j   p2  Aij3   j   0

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

  
…but first, some preliminaries

Purdue Aeroelasticity 6
 Setting up an alternative
solution scheme

h x  K h h P
  
b b m b mb

x h I  K  M a
 2
  2 
b b mb mb mb 2

  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 2 
 mb 
K 
1 x   h   h 0  h
    m  
I    b    b 
 x  K   
 mb 2     0  
 mb 2 
  1   
  L h  L
  2  a L
 h  
     h b 
4 2
 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   
  Lh  L 
  2  a  Lh  
3 2
 b       
mb  1  1  2 
 
    a  Lh   1  1  1
 M    L    a   Lh   a  
 2  2     2  2  2   
  1   
  Lh  L 
  2  a  Lh  
3 2
 b       
 Real   2 
mb   1   1  a  L    1  1  1   
  2  2  h  M    L    a   Lh   a   
    2  2  2    

  1   
  Lh  L 
  2  a  Lh  
3 2
  b        
  j Imag  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  L 
  2  a  Lh  
 2
     
 Real   2 
   1   1  a  L    1  1  1   
  2  2  h  M    L    a   Lh   a   
    2  2  2    

  1   
  Lh  L 
  2  a  Lh  
 
2
     
   jImag   2 
     1   1  a  L    1  1   1   
M 
    L   a  L  a   
  2  2  h
   2

  2
 h
  2    
 

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

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

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

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

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

i We still need k defined before we can

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

i Choose k=wb/V arbitrarily

i Choose altitude (r), and airspeed (V)
i Mach number is now known (when appropriate)
i Compute AIC’s from Theodorsen formulas or others
i Compute aero matrices-Bij and Aij matrices are real
i 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 xjü ï
ï
State vector = {zj } = í ý
ï
ïîï vj ïþ
ï
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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
êë ú û
éKij ù{x j }+
êë ú û
éBij ù{v j }
éM ij ù
êë ú
êë ú û û
éé ùé ùùìï x j ü
ïï
{v j } = êêë-
- 1 - 1
ï
éM ij ù éKij ùúêéM ij ù éBij ùúúí ý
êë ú û êë ú ûûëêë ú û êë ú ûûûï v j ï
ë îï þ ï
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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 }
ê0 0 0 1úï v j ï ë û
îï j þ ï ë ûîï ïþ

19
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 State vector eigenvalue
equation
ìï x j ü
ïï é [0] [I ] ùïì x j ïü
ï ê úï ï =
{z j } = íï v ýï = êé- M - 1 K ù M - 1 B úïí v ïý
éQij ù{z j }
êë ú û
îï j þ ï êëêë ú
û ú
ûïî j ïþ
st
Assume a solution z(t)  z e
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

i Mass matrix is
diagonal if we
use modal  0 I

approach – so Qij    1 1 
too is structural
stiffness matrix
M K M B
i Compute p roots
– Roots are
 K ij     K ij    Aij  
either real
(positive or
negative)
– Complex
conjugate
{z j } = p {z j } = éQij ù{z j }
êë ú û
pairs
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 Eigenvalue roots
p  preal  jpimaginary
p     j 
i wg=s is the estimated system damping
i There are “m” computed values of w at the
airspeed V
i 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  i  i  j 
eigenvalues
No, change k
i b
ki  kinput   ? ki 
V
yes preal  i i Repeat
process for
pimaginary  i each w
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 P-k advantages
i Lining up frequencies eliminates need
for matching flutter speed to Mach
number and altitude
i p-k approach generates an
approximation to the actual system
aerodynamic damping near flutter
i p-k approach finds flutter speeds of
configurations with rigid body modes

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