Active flutter suppression on composite tow steered panels based on piezoelectric actuation

Abstract

© 2018, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA. All rights reserved.The active control of aeroelastic flutter panel and optimization of the best placement location of the piezoelectric patch is evaluated in composite tow steered laminates. The aerodynamic model is based on potential supersonic flow piston theory. The structural model based on Ritz method is used to represent the tow steered composite laminate and the PZT transducers. Classical lamination plate theory and symmetric stacking sequence are used and the fiber trajectories are defined by Lagrange interpolation functions. The control system is designed using the proportional-derivative feedback approach, resulting in active damping and stiffness effects. The flutter stability boundaries for optimal tow steered composite laminates layups and optimal active steered laminate (using piezoelectric patch) are numerically compared to quantify the benefits of active control system. The instability analysis varying the proportional feedback gains is also investigated. The position and size of the patch and tow steered paths are optimized using a differential evolution algorithm to increase the aeroelastic instability margin.