Browsing by Author "Gibbs IV, Samuel Chad"

The aeroelastic stability of beams and plates in three-dimensional flows is explored as the elastic and aerodynamic parameters are varied. First principal energy methods are used to derive the structural equations of motion. The structural models are coupled with a three-dimensional linear vortex lattice model of the aerodynamics. An aeroelastic model with the beam structural model is used to explore the transition between different fixed boundary conditions and the effect of varying two non-dimensional parameters, the mass ratio $\mu$ and aspect ratio $H^*$, for a beam with a fixed edge normal to the flow. The trends matched previously published theoretical and experimental data, validating the current aeroelastic model. The transition in flutter velocity between the clamped free and pinned free configuration is a non-monotomic transition, with the lowest flutter velocity coming with a finite size spring stiffness. Next a plate-membrane model is used to explore the instability dynamics for different combinations of boundary conditions. For the specific configuration of the trailing edge free and all other edges clamped, the sensitivity to the physical parameters shows that decreasing the streamwise length and increasing the tension in the direction normal to the flow can increase the onset instability velocity. Finally the transition in aeroelastic instabilities for non-axially aligned flows is explored for the cantilevered beam and three sides clamped plate. The cantilevered beam configuration transitions from an entirely bending motion when the clamped edge is normal to the flow to a typical bending/torsional wing flutter when the clamped edge is aligned with the flow. As the flow is rotated the transition to the wing flutter occurs when the flow angle is only 10 deg from the perfectly normal configuration. With three edges clamped, the motion goes from a divergence instability when the free edge is aligned with the flow to a flutter instability when the free edge is normal to the flow. The transition occurs at an intermediate angle. Experiments are carried out to validate the beam and plate elastic models. The beam aeroelastic results are also confirmed experimentally. Experimental values consistently match well with the theoretical predictions for both the aeroelastic and structural models.

This dissertation explores the stability of beams, plates and membranes due to subsonic aerodynamic flows or solar radiation forces. Beams, plates and membranes are simple structures that may act as building blocks for more complex systems. In this dissertation we explore the stability of these simple structures so that one can predict instabilities in more complex structures. The theoretical models include both linear and nonlinear energy based models for the structural dynamics of the featureless rectangular structures. The structural models are coupled to a vortex lattice model for subsonic fluid flows or an optical reflection model for solar radiation forces. Combinations of these theoretical models are used to analyze the dynamics and stability of aeroelastic and solarelastic systems. The dissertation contains aeroelastic analysis of a cantilevered beam and a plate / membrane system with multiple boundary conditions. The dissertation includes analysis of the transition from flag-like to wing-like flutter for a cantilevered beam and experiments to quantify the post flutter fluid and structure response of the flapping flag. For the plate / membrane analysis, we show that the boundary conditions in the flow direction determine the type of instability for the system while the complete set of boundary conditions is required to accurately predict the flutter velocity and frequency. The dissertation also contains analysis of solarelastic stability of membranes for solar sail applications. For a fully restrained membrane we show that a flutter instability is possible, however the post flutter response amplitude is small. The dissertation also includes analysis of a membrane hanging in gravity. This systems is an analog to a spinning solar sail and is used to validate the structural dynamics of thin membranes on earth. A linear beam structural model is able to accurately capture the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Finally, the dissertation explores the stability of a spinning membrane. The analysis shows that a nonlinear model is needed to produce a conservative estimate of the stability boundary.