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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

A computer program for automated flutter solution and matched point determination

The use of a digital computer program (MATCH) for automated determination of the flutter velocity and the matched-point flutter density is described. The program is based on the use of the modified Laguerre iteration formula to converge to a flutter crossing or a matched-point density. A general description of the computer program is included and the purpose of all subroutines used is stated. The input required by the program and various input options are detailed, and the output description is presented. The program can solve flutter equations formulated with up to 12 vibration modes and obtain flutter solutions for up to 10 air densities. The program usage is illustrated by a sample run, and the FORTRAN program listing is included.

Bhatia, K. G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Transonic single-mode flutter and buffet of a low aspect ratio wing having a subsonic airfoil shape

Transonic flutter and buffet results obtained from wind-tunnel tests of a low aspect ratio semispan wing model are presented. The tests were conducted to investigate potential transonic aeroelastic problems of vehicles having subsonic airfoil sections. The model employed NACA 00XX-64 airfoil sections in the streamwise direction and had a 14 deg leading edge sweep angle. Aspect ratio, and average thickness were 4.0, 0.35, and 8 percent, respectively. The model was tested at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 0.95 at angles of attack from 0 deg to 15 deg. Two zero lift flutter conditions were found that involved essentially single normal mode vibrations. With boundary layer trips on the model, flutter occurred in a narrow Mach number range centered at about Mach 0.90. The frequency and motion of this flutter were like that of the first normal mode vibration. With the trips removed flutter occurred at a slightly high Mach number but in a mode strongly resembling that of the second normal mode.

Erickson, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Transonic flutter study of a 50.5 deg cropped-delta wing with two rearward-mounted nacelles

Transonic flutter characteristics of three geometrically similar delta-wing models were experimentally determined in the Langley transonic dynamics tunnel at Mach numbers from about 0.6 to 1.2. The models were designed to be simplified versions of an early supersonic transport wing design. The model was an aspect-ratio-1.28 cropped-delta wing with a leadingedge sweep of 50.5 deg. The flutter characteristics obtained for this wing configuration indicated a minimum flutter-speed index near a Mach number of 0.92 and a transonic compressibility dip amounting to about a 27-percent decrease in the flutter-speed index relative to the value at a Mach number of 0.6. Analytical studies were performed for one wing model at Mach numbers of 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 by using both doublet-lattice and lifting-surface (kernel-function) unsteady aerodynamic theory. A comparison of the analytical and experimental flutter results showed good agreement at all Mach numbers investigated.

Sandford, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A curve fitting method for solving the flutter equation

A curve fitting approach was developed to solve the flutter equation for the critical flutter velocity. The psi versus nu curves are approximated by cubic and quadratic equations. The curve fitting technique utilized the first and second derivatives of psi with respect to nu. The method was tested for two structures, one structure being six times the total mass of the other structure. The algorithm never showed any tendency to diverge from the solution. The average time for the computation of a flutter velocity was 3.91 seconds on an IBM Model 50 computer for an accuracy of five per cent. For values of nu close to the critical root of the flutter equation the algorithm converged on the first attempt. The maximum number of iterations for convergence to the critical flutter velocity was five with an assumed value of nu relatively distant from the actual crossover.

Cooper, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A preliminary study of the effects of vortex diffusers (winglets) on wing flutter

Some experimental flutter results are presented for a simple, flat-plate wing model and for the same wing model equipped with two different upper surface vortex diffusers over the Mach number range from about 0.70 to 0.95. Both vortex diffusers had the same planform, but one weighed about 0.3 percent of the basic wing weight, whereas the other weighed about 1.8 percent of the wing weight. The addition of the lighter vortex diffuser reduced the flutter dynamic pressure by about 3 percent; the heavier vortex diffuser reduced the flutter dynamic pressure by about 12 percent. The experimental flutter results are compared at a Mach number of 0.80 with analytical flutter results obtained by using doublet lattice and lifting surface (Kernel function) unsteady aerodynamic theories.

Doggett, R. V., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Experimental parametric studies of transonic T-tail flutter

Wind-tunnel tests of the T-tail of a wide-body jet airplane were made at Mach numbers up to 1.02. The model consisted of a 1/13-size scaled version of the T-tail, fuselage, and inboard wing of the airplane. Two interchangeable T-tails were tested, one with design stiffness for flutter-clearance studies and one with reduced stiffness for flutter-trend studies. Transonic antisymmetric-flutter boundaries were determined for the models with variations in: (1) fin-spar stiffness, (2) stabilizer dihedral angle (-5 deg and 0 deg), (3) wing and forward-fuselage shape, and (4) nose shape of the fin-stabilizer juncture. A transonic symmetric-flutter boundary and flutter trends were established for variations in stabilizer pitch stiffness. Photographs of the test configurations are shown.

Ruhlin, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Further studies of stall flutter and nonlinear divergence of two-dimensional wings

An experimental investigation is made of the purely torsional stall flutter of a two-dimensional wing pivoted about the midchord, and also of the bending-torsion stall flutter of a two-dimensional wing pivoted about the quarterchord. For the purely torsional flutter case, large amplitude limit cycles ranging from + or - 11 to + or - 160 degrees were observed. Nondimensional harmonic coefficients were extracted from the free transient vibration tests for amplitudes up to 80 degrees. Reasonable nondimensional correlation was obtained for several wing configurations. For the bending-torsion flutter case, large amplitude coupled limit cycles were observed with torsional amplitudes as large as + or - 40 degrees. The torsion amplitudes first increased, then decreased with increasing velocity. Additionally, a small amplitude, predominantly torsional flutter was observed when the static equilibrium angle was near the stall angle.

Dugundji, J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Flutter of asymmetrically swept wings

Two formulations of the oblique wing flutter problem are presented; one formulation allows only simple wing bending deformations and rigid body roll as degrees of freedom, while the second formulation includes a more complex bending-torsional deformation together with the roll freedom. Flutter is found to occur in two basic modes. The first mode is associated with wing bending-aircraft roll coupling and occurs at low values of reduced frequency. The second instability mode closely resembles a classical bending-torsion wing flutter event. This latter mode occurs at much higher reduced frequencies than the first. The occurrence of the bending-roll coupling mode is shown to lead to lower flutter speeds while the bending-torsion mode is associated with higher flutter speeds. The ratio of the wing mass moment of inertia in roll to the fuselage roll moment of inertia is found to be a major factor in the determination of which of the two instabilities is critical.

Weisshaar, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Comparison of supercritical and conventional wing flutter characteristics

A wind-tunnel study is described in which it was attempted to compare the measured flutter boundaries of two dynamically similar aeroelastic models with identical planform, maximum thickness-to-chord ratio, and as nearly identical stiffness and mass distributions as possible, but with one wing having a supercritical airfoil and the other a conventional one. At subsonic Mach numbers, the flutter boundary for the supercritical wing was above that of the conventional wing, as predicted by flutter calculations using subsonic lifting theory. In the transonic region, however, the supercritical wing boundary decreases more rapidly and the minimum flutter point occurs at a dynamic pressure below the conventional wing boundary. Airfoil shape effects may account for some of the difference in the flutter boundaries of the two airfoils.

Farmer, M. G.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Preliminary study of effects of winglets on wing flutter

Some experimental flutter results are presented over a Mach number range from about 0.70 to 0.95 for a simple, swept, tapered, flat-plate wing model having a planform representative of subsonic transport airplanes and for the same wing model equipped with two different upper surface winglets. Both winglets had the same planform and area (about 2 percent of the basic-wing area); however, one weighed about 0.3 percent of the basic-wing weight, and the other weighed about 1.8 percent of the wing weight. The addition of the lighter winglet reduced the wing-flutter dynamic pressure by about 3 percent; the heavier winglet reduced the wing-flutter dynamic pressure by about 12 percent. The experimental flutter results are compared at a Mach number of 0.80 with analytical flutter results obtained by using doublet-lattice and lifting-surface (kernel-function) unsteady aerodynamic theories.

Doggett, R. V., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

F-15 flight flutter test program

The modes to be observed during the F-15 flight flutter test program were selected on the basis of the results of analytical studies, wind tunnel tests, and ground vibration tests. The modes (both symmetrical and antisymmetrical) tracked on this basis were: fin first bending, fin torsion, fin tip roll, stabilator bending, stabilator pitch, boom lateral bending, boom torsion, boom vertical bending, wing first bending, wing second bending, wing first torsion, outer wing torsion, and aileron rotation. Data obtained for these various modes were evaluated in terms of damping versus airspeed at 1525 m (5000 ft), damping versus altitude at the cross-section Mach numbers (to extrapolate to the damping value to be expected at sea level), and flutter boundaries on the basis of flutter margin of various modal pairs representing potential flutter mechanisms. Results of these evaluations are summarized in terms of minimum predicted flutter margin for the various mechanisms.

Katz, H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Optical detection of blade flutter

The paper examines the capabilities of photoelectric scanning (PES) and stroboscopic imagery (SI) as optical monitoring tools for detection of the onset of flutter in the fan blades of an aircraft gas turbine engine. Both optical techniques give visual data in real time as well as video-tape records. PES is shown to be an ideal flutter monitor, since a single cathode ray tube displays the behavior of all the blades in a stage simultaneously. Operation of the SI system continuously while searching for a flutter condition imposes severe demands on the flash tube and affects its reliability, thus limiting its use as a flutter monitor. A better method of operation is to search for flutter with the PES and limit the use of SI to those times when the PES indicates interesting blade activity.

Nieberding, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Optimization of active control systems to suppress flutter and minimize turbulence response

A method for optimizing an active control system which will suppress flutter and minimize the response of a lifting surface to atmospheric turbulence is presented. A mathematical search method is developed which will find a control law which will cause an active control system to flutter at a specified freestream velocity, air density, and Mach number. With the flutter velocity of the system held constant, the control law is then modified in such a way that the peak output power spectral density function of the angular response of a lifting surface (as a result of atmospheric turbulence) is minimized for a specified flight velocity which is less than the flutter velocity. The von Karman generalized power spectrum for the transverse components of turbulence is used in an example problem to increase the flutter velocity and minimize the turbulence response of a simplified delta-wing model which has leading and trailing edge control surfaces.

Rudisill, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Flutter of an elastic plate under tension

The problem of flutter of a tensioned elastic plate is reconsidered on a model of two-dimensional aerodynamic flow over a one-dimensional, infinitely wide plate. The purpose is to clarify the effect of variations in plate bending stiffness on the flutter of a plate under a given tension, and vice versa. On the basis that the flutter mode for the one-dimensional infinitely wide plate is essentially the first plate natural mode for subsonic and low supersonic Mach numbers, and that the dynamic pressure required for flutter is proportional to the square of the first natural mode frequency, it is shown that the membrane paradox disappears for Mach numbers 0 and 1.3, so that reduced bending stiffness reduces the dynamic pressure required for flutter.

Dowell, E. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Supersonic unstalled flutter

Flutter analyses were developed to predict the onset of supersonic unstalled flutter of a cascade of two-dimensional airfoils. The first of these analyzes the onset of supersonic flutter at low levels of aerodynamic loading (i.e., backpressure), while the second examines the occurrence of supersonic flutter at moderate levels of aerodynamic loading. Both of these analyses are based on the linearized unsteady inviscid equations of gas dynamics to model the flow field surrounding the cascade. These analyses are utilized in a parametric study to show the effects of cascade geometry, inlet Mach number, and backpressure on the onset of single and multi degree of freedom unstalled supersonic flutter. Several of the results are correlated against experimental qualitative observation to validate the models.

Adamczyk, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Supersonic unstalled flutter

Recently two flutter analyses have been developed at NASA Lewis Research Center to predict the onset of supersonic unstalled flutter of a cascade of two-dimensional airfoils. The first of these analyzes the onset of supersonic flutter at low levels of aerodynamic loading (i.e., backpressure), while the second examines the occurrence of supersonic flutter at moderate levels of aerodynamic loading. Both of these analyses are based on the linearized unsteady inviscid equations of gas dynamics to model the flow field surrounding the cascade. The details of the development of the solution to each of these models have been published. The objective of the present paper is to utilize these analyses in a parametric study to show the effects of cascade geometry, inlet Mach number, and backpressure on the onset of single and multi degree of freedom unstalled supersonic flutter. Several of the results from this study are correlated against experimental qualitative observation to validate the models.

Adamczyk, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A computerized method for calculating flutter characteristics of a system characterized by two degrees of freedom

A formulation is given for calculating flutter frequency and flutter speed for a problem with two degrees of freedom. Two different solutions for evaluating the flutter determinant are presented and the results for each method are compared. A program flow diagram, partial program listing, and a sample problem with input and output for the two different methods are included. Although the method was developed for computing flutter characteristics of a pylon installed in the NASA Langley VSTOL tunnel, it is sufficiently general to solve any flutter system that can be characterized by two degrees of freedom.

Stalnaker, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Minimum mass sizing of a large low-aspect ratio airframe for flutter-free performance

A procedure for sizing an airframe for flutter-free performance is demonstrated on a large, flexible supersonic transport aircraft. The procedure is based on using a two level reduced basis or modal technique for reducing the computational cost of performing the repetitive flutter analyses. The supersonic transport aircraft exhibits complex dynamic behavior, has a well-known flutter problem and requires a large finite element model to predict the vibratory and flutter response. Flutter-free designs were produced with small mass increases relative to the wing structural weight and aircraft payload.

Greene, W. H.↗