Numerical study of aeroelastic suppression using active control surfaces on a full-span suspension bridge

Abstract

In this study, the aeroelastic active control of a suspension bridge was studied using both experimental and numerical methods. Two flat plates attached on either side of the suspension bridge were used as the control surfaces. With a suitable rotation of the control surfaces, the turbulent flow around the bridge was modified, thus addressing the problem of aeroelasticity. An appropriate feedback control law was determined using a two-dimensional numerical model. Next, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted to validate the numerical results. The numerical analysis was conducted for a suspension bridge with a span of 3000 m. The effectiveness of the control was considered based on the arrangement of the control wings along the span of the suspension bridge. The ratio between the total length of the control surfaces and the span length was investigated. The coupling of the modes of the suspension bridge also affected the control results. It was suggested that aerodynamic stability could be enhanced by using a partially installed control surface. Moreover, the buffeting responses of bending and torsion of the suspension bridge could be reduced.