Improving the Aeroelastic Flutter Characteristics of Supersonic Beams Using Piezoelectric Material

Abstract

The active aeroelastic flutter characteristics of supersonic beams are investigated. The main contribution of this research is that the piezoelectric material is used to increase the flutter velocities of the supersonic beams. A modeling approach based on the conventional theory of structural dynamics is employed. The process of deriving equations is not complicated and easy to understand. This methodology is verified to be accurate and effective. Hamilton’s principle with the assumed mode method is used to develop the equation of motion of the structural systems. The supersonic piston theory is adopted to evaluate the aerodynamic pressure. Using the standard eigenvalue methodology, the solutions for complex eigenvalue problem are obtained. A displacement and acceleration feedback control strategy is used to obtain the active stiffness and active mass. The aeroelastic flutter bounds are obtained by calculating the natural frequencies and damping ratios. The effects of the active stiffness and mass on the flutter properties of the supersonic beams are analyzed. From the numerical results, it is seen that by adding the active stiffness and mass to the supersonic beams, the aeroelastic flutter properties can be effectively improved. Especially, if the acceleration and displacement feedback gains are increased to proper values, the flutter can even be eliminated for the supersonic cantilevered beams.