Transient Temperature Effects on the Aerothermoelastic Response of a Simple Wing

Abstract

Aerothermoelasticity plays a vital role in the design and optimisation of hypersonic aircraft. Furthermore, the transient and nonlinear effects of the harsh thermal and aerodynamic environment a lifting surface is in cannot be ignored. This article investigates the effects of transient temperatures on the flutter behavior of a three-dimensional wing with a control surface and compares results for transient and steady-state temperature distributions. The time-varying temperature distribution is applied through the unsteady heat conduction equation coupled to nonlinear aerodynamics calculated using 3rd order piston theory. The effect of a transient temperature distribution on the flutter velocity is investigated and the results are compared with a steady-state heat distribution. The steady-state condition proves to over-compensate the effects of heat on the flutter response, whereas the transient case displays the effects of a constantly changing heat load by varying the response as time progresses.

Special Issue: Aeroelasticity

“…Eaton et al [3] applied a numerical continuation method to an aeroelastic plant with geometric nonlinearity to predict subcritical limit cycle oscillations. Vio et al [4] investigated transient temperature effects that dominate the aerothermoelastic behavior of hypersonic vehicles. Finally, Muc [5] considered the problem to move the occurrence of undesired aeroelastic phenomena to higher airspeeds by optimizing the structural layout of laminated plates.…”