METHODOLOGY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF GEOMETRIC NONLINEARITY ON THE STATIC AEROELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF VERY FLEXIBLE WINGS

Abstract

© Proceedings of the International Forum of Aeroelasticity and Structural Dynamics 2022, IFASD 2022.As economic and environmental requirements surge, aircraft manufacturers incorporate a myriad of features in aircraft design aiming to reduce fuel consumption. One endeavor to increase fuel efficiency is related to increasing wing aspect-ratios, improving the aerodynamic efficiency of wings. Even though high aspect-ratio wings contribute to improving aircraft fuel efficiency, these slender wings present high structural flexibility, undergoing large deflections under operational loads. In this case, conventional linear structural analysis fails to predict accurate structural results. Then, nonlinear structural analysis needs to be employed for properly capturing the static aeroelastic response of such wings. In this context, this work proposes a fluid-structure interaction methodology coupling a full-potential aerodynamics solver with a nonlinear structural solver to evaluate the static aeroelastic behavior of very flexible wings. The methodology is applied to the Pazy Wing, a very flexible rectangular wing, as part of an international cooperation in NASA’s Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop 3. Comparisons between simulation and wind tunnel test results found in the literature are used for validating the developed methodology. Further, the work seeks to capture deviations in the wing deformed shape and aerodynamic loading when linear and nonlinear structural models are employed in the aerostructural scheme.

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