Nonlinear aeroelastic analysis, flight dynamics, and control of a complete aircraft

The focus of this research was to analyze a high-aspect-ratio wing aircraft flying at low subsonic speeds. Such aircraft are designed for high-altitude, long-endurance missions. Due to the high flexibility and associated wing deformation, accurate prediction of aircraft response requires use of nonlinear theories. Also strong interactions between flight dynamics and aeroelasticity are expected. To analyze such aircraft one needs to have an analysis tool which includes the various couplings and interactions. A theoretical basis has been established for a consistent analysis which takes into account, (i) material anisotropy, (ii) geometrical nonlinearities of the structure, (iii) rigid-body motions, (iv) unsteady flow behavior, and (v) dynamic stall.; The airplane structure is modeled as a set of rigidly attached beams. Each of the beams is modeled using the geometrically exact mixed variational formulation, thus taking into account geometrical nonlinearities arising due to large displacements and rotations. The cross-sectional stiffnesses are obtained using an asymptotically exact analysis, which can model arbitrary cross sections and material properties. An aerodynamic model, consisting of a unified lift model, a consistent combination of finite-state inflow model and a modified ONERA dynamic stall model, is coupled to the structural system to determine the equations of motion.; The results obtained indicate the necessity of including nonlinear effects in aeroelastic analysis. Structural geometric nonlinearities result in drastic changes in aeroelastic characteristics, especially in case of high-aspect-ratio wings. The nonlinear stall effect is the dominant factor in limiting the amplitude of oscillation for most wings. The limit cycle oscillation (LCO) phenomenon is also investigated. Post-flutter and pre-flutter LCOs are possible depending on the disturbance mode and amplitude. Finally, static output feedback (SOF) controllers are designed for flutter suppression and gust alleviation. SOF controllers are very simple and thus easy to implement. For the case considered, SOF controllers with proper choice of sensors give results comparable to full state feedback (linear quadratic regulator) designs.