Abstract

In the analysis of flutter of fixed-wing aircraft, it is common to use the "p-k" method in which one iterates on the reduced frequency of the Theordorsen aerodynamic theory based on the Imaginary part of the eigenvalue. However, this process only is correct when the real part of the eigenvalue is zero (i.e., at the stability boundary) because Theodorsen assumes simple harmonic motion. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of this method for eigenvalues away from the stability bound by replacing the Theodorsen function C(k) with its aerodynamic counterpart for growing or decaying motion. We then study the accuracy of the p-k method as compared to an exact representation.

Document Type

Final Report

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Class Name

Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences Independent Study

Date of Submission

12-12-2021

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