A real-time hybrid aeroelastic simulation platform for flexible wings

Abstract

The concept of real-time hybrid aeroelastic simulation for flexible wings is introduced in this paper. In a hybrid aeroelastic simulation, a coupled aeroelastic system is “broken down” into an aerodynamic simulation subsystem and a structural vibration subsystem. The coupling between structural dynamics and aerodynamics is maintained by the real-time communication between the two subsystems. As the vibration of the testing article (a wing member or a full aircraft) is actuated by actuators, hybrid aeroelastic simulation and experiment can eliminate the sizing constraint of the conventional aeroelastic testing performed within a wind-tunnel. It also significantly saves the cost of wind-tunnel testing. However, several critical technical problems (such as process noise, measurement noise, and actuator delay) need to be addressed to enable a hybrid simulation in real-time. This paper proves the concept of real-time hybrid simulation and discusses some of the critical problems underlying the technique.