Aeroelastic Analysis Of Aircraft Configurations 

 

Figure 1. The pressure contours on the deformed and undeformed                        Figure 2. The deformed and undeformed geometry of 
MD-90 Wing/fuselage configuration                                                                            the MD-90 wing/fuselage configuration

Under the NASA HPCC Contract, CSULB worked with Boeing and developed an interface method to couple aerodynamics and structures for aeroelastic analysis.  With this interface method, loads computed by any aerodynamic code are transformed to structural finite element (FE) model based on the principle of virtual work and displacements from structural analysis are converted from the FE model to aerodynamic grid points through the reciprocal theorem. The method was used to evaluate the aeroelastic effects of an advanced transport wing at cruise and critical conditions.  Results are in good agreement with wind tunnel data and show a pronounced effects of aeroelasticity on the aerodynamic performance. The method was also applied to more complicated configurations including the MD90 wing/ fuselage configuration, a simple three-element high lift system, and a rather complicated high lift system of an advanced high-wing transport. Results show that the interface method works well for all these complex configurations.  In addition, aircraft trim analysis was conducted and applied to wing configurations using this interface method .

For more information, contact hhchen@csulb.edu

Related publications:

  1. G. T. Tzong, H. H. Chen, K. C. Chang and T. Cebeci, “A General Interface Method for Aeroelastic Analysis of Aircraft,” presented at the NASA Computational Aerosciences Workshop, Moffett Field, CA, Aug. 13-15, 1996.

  2. Tzong, T., Chen, H.H., Chang, K.C., Wu, T., and Cebeci, T., “A General Interface Method for Calculating Aero-Structure Interaction on Aircraf Configurations,” AIAA Paper 96-3982, Sept. 1996.

  3. Chen, H.H., Chang, K.C., Tzong, T. and Cebeci, T., “Aeroelastic Analysis of Wing and Wing/Fuselage Configurations,” AIAA Paper 98-0907, Jan. 1998.

  4. G. Tzong, H. Chen and T. Cebeci, ”An Integrated Structural Optimization Tool for Aircraft,” presented at the Australasian Conference on Structural Optimisation, Sydney, Australia, Feb. 11-13, 1998.

  5. Chang, K. C., Chen, H. H., Tzong, T. and Cebeci, T. “Aeroelasitc analysis of high lift configurations,” AIAA Paper 2000-0905, Jan. 2000.

  6. K. C. Chang, H. H. Chen, T. Tzong and T. Cebeci, “Prediction of Aeroelastic Effects of Aircraft Configurations Including High Lift Systems,” presented at the 22nd ICAS Conference, Harrogate, UK, Aug. 2000.