ENGINEERED STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITY FOR THE MITIGATION OF HYPERSONIC PANEL FLUTTER
Abstract
Hypersonic vehicles such as hypersonic missiles enable unique strike options that conventional forces cannot provide. However, vehicles traveling at hypersonic speeds (> Mach 5) encounter enormous and complex aerodynamic loads. Such loads can cause aeroelastic flutter, an oscillatory dynamic instability of aircraft structures, and compromise not only the controllability of the vehicle but also its structural integrity. While aeroelastic flutter at sub- or supersonic speeds has received a lot of attention in the past decades, research in the field of hypersonic flutter is limited due to complex fluid-thermal-structural interactions. At high Mach numbers, intense heating and unevenly distributed temperature on the surface of a hypersonic vehicle produces excessive thermally-induced stresses and varies the mechanical properties of the vehicle. Therefore, additional physical considerations are required for a better understanding of hypersonic aerothermoelasticity. This research program is devoted to studying flutter instability of hypersonic vehicles and developing a de novo computational approach to design aircraft structures for the mitigation of hypersonic flutter. We will consider the thermal effects from aerodynamic heating in the design phase of hypersonic vehicles to ensure their aerodynamic efficiency and stability at different speeds (from subsonic to hypersonic). Inspired by our previous work on bioinspired shark skin denticles for drag reduction, we will develop a multiscale computational approach to simulate the effects of surface microstructural patterns (millimeter scale) on aeroelastic flutter (meter scale). Machine learning techniques will be used to accelerate our computational approaches and to search for optimal designs to achieve desired aerodynamics properties. Additionally, we will evaluate the real-world performance of generated designs using additive manufacturing and wind tunnel testing. This research program will uncover the fundamental mechanism of hypersonic flutter and the design principles of hypersonic vehicles that have the potential to strengthen the Air Force and Department of Defense technological capabilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210420
Entities
People
- Grace Gu
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of California Regents