Experimental and numerical study of dynamic characteristic of a complex all-movable rudder system

Abstract

Modal analysis and flutter computation of a complex tail cabin system including six all-movable rudders for hypersonic flight vehicle was studied in this paper. Recently, some complex all-movable rudder system has been applied to hypersonic flight vehicle. Many investigations were taken to analyse a single all-movable rudder, such as modal analysis, flutter analysis, aero-heating analysis, etc. But most of existing investigations emphasized on single rudder. In this paper, a complex tail cabin system including six all-movable rudders from the X-51A vehicle was investigated. Modal analysis was presented based on accurate finite element modelling and bending and twisting modes of the structure were computed. Ground vibration test was provided to confirm the accuracy of computation. Then flutter characteristic of this complex system was analysed based on doublet lattice method. With flight Mach number 3 and 4, flutter analysis relating to both symmetric mode and antisymmetric mode was presented. It can be found from the presented results of flutter analysis that there were obvious and non-negligible coupling vibration effects among rudders in such a complex rudder system. So flutter characteristic of hypersonic flight vehicle should be analysed based on the whole system modelling including all of rudders. This analysis process can play a significant role for the design and flight of hypersonic vehicle.