Active Control of Nonlinear Aeroelasticity

By utilising computer simulation and wind tunnel testing, the dynamic responses of an aeroelastic system can be determined for a range of airspeeds and combinations of system parameters, for both structurally linear and nonlinear configurations. The inclusion of one or more control surfaces enables the exploration of a variety of control methods that may be tailored to achieve a desired outcome, and could also potentially introduce additional dynamic phenomena arising from the control surface. The key aims of this project are:
To investigate the dynamic behaviour of an aeroelastic system in the presence of various types of structural nonlinearity,
To investigate the application of nonlinear active control methods to mitigate vibrations and/or prescribe the dynamics of such systems,
Once an understanding of the above two items has been gained, to include the effects of gusts and investigate both uncontrolled (i.e. in the absence of active control) and controlled (i.e. with active control applied) dynamic behaviour of the system.
The approach to be followed in meeting the above aims include:
Simulating aeroelastic response (mainly using Matlab, Simulink) of a numerical model of various configurations of a flexible fixed-wing rig equipped with two control surfaces (suitable for wind tunnel mounting and testing), already available for use,
Running dynamic tests (including modal testing) to design and customise nonlinearities that are appropriate for deployment in the flexible fixed-wing rig,
At a later stage in the project, running wind tunnel experiments on various configurations of the flexible fixed-wing rig, for both linear and nonlinear cases, with and without gust inputs.
The ideal outcome is that this project develops novel methods for active control of aeroelastic systems with various types and levels of nonlinearities, which are also effective in situations where gust inputs are significant. Such an increase in the ability to control the dynamics of aeroelastic systems in the presence of nonlinearities and gust inputs - both of which are very real phenomena in the real world - will translate to practical benefits such as longevity of aircraft, increase passenger comfort, not requiring overly conservative safety factors in the design process etc, ultimately resulting in significant cost savings and greener engineering.