Similarity Study between Electrostatic MEMS and Aeroelastic Wing Structures

Abstract

An analogy between the instabilities in electrostatic MEMS structures and aeroelastic aircraft wing structures has been inferred in this paper. The static and dynamic analysis of a simple mass-spring model of an electrostatically actuated MEMS structure is presented to understand the pull-in instability. Then the aeroelastic phenomenon occurring on the aircraft wing structures is explained with a simple one degree of freedom wing model. The divergence and flutter instabilities are studied. The control methods taken so far to counteract the instabilities in both cases have been discussed.