Combined effects of engine thrust, mass, and material anisotropy on the bending-torsion flutter of a composite wing

In this thesis a simple analytic method for determining the effects of thrust, concentrated mass and material anisotropy on the bending-twisting flutter boundary for a composite wing was developed and applied. The flutter characteristics were determined in a three step process. 1. Calculate the energy equations for the wing. 2. Obtain the governing equations of motion using the Ritz method, and 3. Use classical flutter theory to determine the flutter boundary of the wing.;The results obtained were compared with those from finite element analysis and experimental data from literature. It was found that they are in close agreement for wings under engine thrust and with a concentrated mass. The results show that the engine thrust and mass have significant effects on the flutter boundary of a wing. The results also show that the flutter envelope of a composite wing can be improved by the bending-torsion coupling of the wing.