Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Chang-kwon Kang
Committee Member
D. Brian Landrum
Committee Member
Gang Wang
Subject(s)
Aerodynamics, Fluid-structure interaction, Biomechanics
Abstract
The unsteady aeroelastic response of an elastic plate immersed in an axial flow addresses many real-world applications and problems from plate flutter, bio-locomotion, to deforming airfoils. However, the analysis is challenging due to the coupling between the structure and fluid. This study presents a closed-form analytical solution to the two-way coupled aeroelastic response of a two-dimensional elastic plate in axial potential flow. The coupled model utilizes linearized beam theory and linearized unsteady thin airfoil theory. The coupled equations of motion are solved via Galerkin’s method, where closed-form solutions for the plate deformation are obtained by introducing Chebyshev series to solve the unsteady aerodynamics. Furthermore, closed-form solutions are obtained for the lift, thrust and power. The model is validated against results found in the literature and show good agreement. Furthermore, we present a study on the effect of chordwise flexibility on the aerodynamic performance for a typical biological flyer in forward flight.
Recommended Citation
Medina, Cory Ryan, "A closed-form solution to the aeroelastic response of an elastic plate in axial flow" (2017). Theses. 224.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/224