Flutter control of an adaptive laminated composite panel with piezoelectric layers

Abstract

Abstract : A new finite element formulation of an adaptive composite laminated panel with piezoelectric sensors and actuators is presented. Classical laminated theory with electromechanical induced actuation and variational principles are used to formulate the equations of motion. The finite element model based on the bilinear Mindlin plate theory with 24 structural degrees of freedom and one electrical degree of freedom per piezoelectric layer is much simpler and computationally more efficient than models based on solid element formulations with a significant decrease in the number of degrees of freedom. The numerical results from simulations agree well with data reported in the literature. Next, the effectiveness of using the adaptive composite panel to control panel flutter is examined. First order piston theory is used to model the supersonic flow. The piezoelectric actuators are used passively to induce inplane forces to alter the panel stiffness characteristics. The results show that piezoelectric devices can significantly increase panel flutter velocities. However, it was found that the added mass to stiffness ratio and the piezoelectric patch configuration are two factors affecting actuator performance. JG