Model Updating and Aeroelastic Correlation of a Scaled Wind Tunnel Model for Active Flutter Suppression Test

Abstract

This article presents a modal correlation and update carried out on an aeroelastic wind tunnel demonstrator representing a conventional passenger transport aircraft. The aim of this work is the setup of a corresponding numerical model that is able to capture the flutter characteristics of a scaled aeroelastic model designed to investigate and experimentally validate active flutter suppression technologies. The work described in this paper includes different finite element modeling strategies, the results of the ground vibration test, and finally the strategies adopted for modal updating. The result of the activities is a three-dimensional hybrid finite element model that is well representative of the actual aeroelastic behavior identified during the wind tunnel test campaign and that is capable of predicting the flutter boundary with an error of 1.2%. This model will be used to develop active flutter suppression controllers, as well as to perform the sensitivity analyses necessary to investigate their robustness.

Keywords

• aeroservoelastic model
• flutter instability
• correlation techniques
• optimization process
• wind tunnel test