Flutter boundary prediction based on nonstationary data measurement

Abstract

A time-domain method for the flutter boundary prediction of a wing based on the nonstationary random response is proposed. The feature of this method is that a stability parameter is used as the measure of the aeroelastic stability margin instead of a conventional modal damping. The effectiveness of a stability parameter for the flutter boundary prediction is shown using a simple bending-torsion wing model. Numerical studies are conducted to examine the performance of the method under the nonstationary condition. An application to supersonic wind-tunnel flutter testing data shows that the proposed method is effective to the prediction of the flutter boundary in the actual flutter testing.