Introduction to Aeroelasticity

Lecture 4:
Theodorsen for non-sinusoidal
motion

G. Dimitriadis
Aeroelasticity
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Time domain responses
! Theodorsen analysis requires that the
equations of motion are only valid at zero
airspeed or at the flutter condition.
! They are also valid in the case of forced
sinusoidal excitation.
! We can calculate the response of an
aeroelastic system with Theodorsen
aerodynamics to any excitation force
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Frequency Response Function
! Imagine that we excite the pitch-plunge airfoil
at the leading edge with a force F
0
expj!t.
! The equations of motion become
! This equation is of the form H(!)q
0
=F, where
H
-1
(!) is the Frequency Response Function.
"1
x
f
#
$
%
&
'
(
F
0
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
FRF for pitch-plunge system
0 2 4 6 8 10
0
0.005
0.01
0.015
Frequency (Hz)
l
H
(
!
)
!
1
l

i
n

h
0 2 4 6 8 10
!2
!1
0
1
2
3
Frequency (Hz)
p
h
a
s
e

o
f

H
(
!
)
!
1

i
n

h
0 2 4 6 8 10
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
Frequency (Hz)
l
H
(
!
)
!
1
l

i
n

"
0 2 4 6 8 10
!3
!2.5
!2
!1.5
!1
!0.5
0
0.5
Frequency (Hz)
p
h
a
s
e

o
f

H
(
!
)
!
1

i
n

"
FRF of h

The two modes
are clearly present





FRF of "

The first mode is
present as an anti-
resonance
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Working with the FRF
! If the force is non-sinusoidal, F
0
=F
0
(!).
! The systems response to such a force is
obtained as q
0
(!)=H(!)
-1
F(!).
! If F(!)=1 then the inverse Fourier
Transform of q
0
(!) is the systems impulse
response.
! The impulse response can also be used to
perform stability analysis.
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Impulse response of
pitch-plunge airfoil
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
!6
!4
!2
0
2
4
x 10
!5
time (s)
I
m
p
u
l
s
e

r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

i
n

h
U=15m/s, xf/c=0.4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
!2
0
2
x 10
!4
time (s)
I
m
p
u
l
s
e

r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

i
n

!
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
!1.5
!1
!0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
x 10
!4
time (s)
I
m
p
u
l
s
e

r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

i
n

h
U=25m/s, xf/c=0.4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
!2
0
2
x 10
!4
time (s)
I
m
p
u
l
s
e

r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

i
n

!
V=15m/s V=25m/s
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Damped sinusoidal motion
! The previous discussion shows that:
! Theodorsen aerodynamics are only valid for
sinusoidal motion
! Yet Theodorsen aerodynamics can be used to
calculate damped impulse responses
! Stability analysis is slow and and can be less
accurate when performed on impulse
responses
! We need a method for calculating the
damping at all airspeeds directly from the
equations of motion
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
The p-k Method
! The p-k method is the most popular
technique for obtaining aeroelastic
solutions
! It was started in the 80s and since then
has become the industrial standard
! Virtually all aircraft flying today have
been designed using the p-k method
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Basics
! The p-k method uses the structural
equations of motion in the standard
form
! Coupled with Theodorsen aerodynamic
forces of the form
With k=!b/U
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Basics (2)
! Remember that this is only correct if the
response is sinusoidal, since the
Theodorsen lift is equal to
! The p-k method mixes h(t), which is a
general function, with h
0
expj!t.
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Basics (3)
! Therefore, the equations contain terms
that depend on frequency
! The basis of the p-k method is to define
! Then, the equations of motion become
! Where q=[h "]
T
.

p
2
M
s
+ K
s
"
1
2
#U
2
Q p ( )
$
%
&
'
q = 0
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Using p
! Using the p notation, the Q(p) matrix
becomes:
! i.e. it is a polynomial function of p (or p/U).
Q p ( ) =
"2#cC k ( )
p
U
" 2#b
2
p
U
$
%
&
'
2
"2#cC k ( ) " 2#b
2
p
U
" 2#cC k ( )
3
4
c " x
f
$
%
&
'
p
U
" 2#b
2
p
U
$
%
&
'
2
2#ec
2
C k ( )
p
U
+ 2# x
f
"
c
2
$
%
&
'
b
2
p
U
$
%
&
'
2
2#ec
2
C k ( ) " 2
3
4
c " x
f
$
%
&
'
#b
2
p
U
+
2#ec
2
C k ( )
3
4
c " x
f
$
%
&
'
p
U
" 2#b
2
x
f
"
c
2
$
%
&
'
2
p
U
$
%
&
'
2
" #
b
4
4
p
U
$
%
&
'
2
(
)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
+
,
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
The p-method
! The p-method consists of solving this
eigenvalue problem for p.
! Its a nonlinear eigenvalue problem but
polynomial so it can be solved.
! The p values will generally be complex.
! There is no guarantee that the real parts of
the p values will have the correct value

p
2
M
s
+ K
s
"
1
2
#U
2
Q p ( )
$
%
&
'
q = 0
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
The p-k method
! The p-k method is more sophisticated than
the p-method in that it performs frequency
matching
! The equations solved are
! Since it is known that the aerodynamic
matrix is only a function of frequency (not
of damping)
! Again, k=!b/U
(2)

p
2
M
s
+ K
s
"
1
2
#U
2
Q jk ( )
$
%
&
'
q = 0
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Application to 2-dof model
! The p-k equations for the 2-dof model
are:
! Notice that the Q matrix depends only
on k, not on flight condition
m S
S I
"
#
$
%
&
'
(
p
2
+
K
k
0
0 K
"
#
$
%
&
'
(
)
1
2
*U
2
)4+C k ( ) jk + 2+k
2
)2+cC k ( ) ) 2+bjk ) 4+C k ( )
3
4
c ) x
f
#
$
&
'
jk + 2+b
2
k
2
4+ecC k ( ) jk ) 2+ x
f
)
c
2
#
$
&
'
k
2
2+ec
2
C k ( ) ) 2
3
4
c ) x
f
#
$
&
'
+bjk +
4+ecC k ( )
3
4
c ) x
f
#
$
&
'
jk + 2+ x
f
)
c
2
#
$
&
'
2
k
2
+ +
b
2
4
k
2
,
-
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
/
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
#
$
%
%
%
%
%
%
&
'
(
(
(
(
(
(
h
"
2
3
4
5
6
7
= 0
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
The p-k solution
! The solution of these equations is iterative.
! We guess a value for the frequency ! (and
hence k) and then we calculate p from the
resulting eigenvalue problem.
! The norm of p should be equal to !.
! If it is not, we change the value of ! until the
scheme converges
! This is called frequency matching
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Frequency matching
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
p-k method characteristics
! Converges very quickly to the correct
eigenvalue
! Suitable for large computational
problems
! Calculates sub-critical damping ratios
! Flutter speeds are very similar to the k-
method results
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Results
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Rogers Approximation
! Another way to transform the p-k equations to
the time domain is using Rogers
Approximation.
! The frequency-dependent part of equations
(2), Q(jk), is approximated as:
! Where n
l
is the number of aerodynamic lags
and "
n
are aerodynamic lag coefficients.

Q jk ( ) = A
0
+ A
1
jk + A
2
jk ( )
2
+ A
2+n
jk
jk +"
n n=1
n
l
#
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Rogers EOMs
! The equations of motion of the complete
aeroelastic system then become:
! Where
! Usually:


q =
"M
"1
C "M
"1
K "M
"1
A
3
! "M
"1
A
n
l
+2
I 0 0 ! 0
0 I "V#
1
/bI ! 0
" " " # "
0 I 0 ! "V#
n
l
/bI
$
%
&
&
&
&
&
&
'
(
)
)
)
)
)
)
q

M = M
s
"
1
2
#b
2
A
2
, C = C
s
"
1
2
#UbA
1
, K = K
s
"
1
2
#U
2
A
0
, A
j
= "
1
2
#U
2
A
j

n
l
= 4, "
n
= #1.7k
max
n
n
l
+1 ( )
2
, k
max
= maximum k of interest
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Practical Aeroelasticity
! For an aircraft, the matrix Q(jk) is obtained using a
panel method-based aerodynamic model.
! The modelling is usually performed by means of
commercial packages, such as MSC.Nastran or Z-
Aero.
! For a chosen set of k values, e.g. k
1
, k
2
, !, k
m
, the
corresponding Q matrices are returned.
! The Q matrices are then used in conjunction with
the p-k method to obtain the flutter solution or
time-domain responses.
! The values of Q at intermediate k values are
obtained by interpolation.
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
BAH Example
! Bisplinghoff, Ashley and Halfman wing
! FEM with 12 nodes and 72 dof
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
First 5 modes of BAH wing
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
GTA Example
! Here is a very simple aeroelastic model for
a Generic Transport Aircraft
Finite element model: Bar elements
with 678 degrees of freedom
Aerodynamic model: 2500 doublet
lattice panels
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Flutter plots
for GTA
First 7 flexible modes.
Clear flutter mechanism
between first and third
mode (first wing bending
and aileron deflection)
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Time domain plots
for the GTA
V<V
F
V=V
F
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Supersonic Transport
! The SST is a
proposal for the
replacement of
the Concorde.
! The aeroelastic
model is a half-
model
! The
aerodynamics
contains the
wing and a
rectangle for the
wall
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Flutter plots
for SST
First 9 flexible modes.
Clear flutter mechanism
between first and third
mode.
Introduction to Aeroelasticity
Practical Session
! You are required to design a pitch-plunge flat plate with the following
characteristics
! Chord length: 0.4m
! Material: aluminium
! Maximum flight altitude: 2000m (air density of 1kg/m
3
)
! Maximum airspeed: 100m/s
! Write a Matlab code to carry out a p-k analysis on the pitch-plunge
flat plate.
! Modify your systems parameters so that your wing complies with
the above specifications and does not flutter inside the flight
envelope.
! Try to keep the wing as light as possible.
! The plunge spring cannot exceed 5000N/m
! The pitch spring cannot exceed 4000Nm/rad