ESA322 STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS

ASSIGNMENT 1
V-G FLUTTER ANALYSIS

BY:
AHMAD SHAQEER BIN MOHAMED THAHEER
(Matrix No: 111706)

UNDER SUPERVISION OF
DR. NORIZHAM ABDUL RAZAK

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL OF FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT IN

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
18 MAY 2015

INTRODUCTION

The aeroelastic flutter is an intricate phenomenon and for its analysis is used the V-g
method. The mathematical models are based on the concept of linear aeroelastic typical section
with two and three degrees of freedom. Since the aerodynamic forces are those which introduce
energy into the system and their value depends on the speed for a given configuration
(characteristic mass, elastic and geometric structure), it is possible to calculate the critical
flutter speed, which if exceeded, and the system becomes unstable dynamically and virtually
destroyed.

THEORY

The phenomenon of flutter (flutter) is the phenomenon of dynamic instability, at a certain

speed called the wave speed. Flutter occurs in the interaction between elastic forces,
aerodynamics and mass, so that ultimately results in increasing exponentially with time of the
periodic motion amplitude.

Figure 1 Free body diagram of wing cross-section.

The equation of motion of the model are define as,

1

x
2

x h / b R 2

r 2 0

Lh

M h a Lh
2

0 h / b

r 2

h / b
2

1

M a L M h a Lh
2

L a Lh
2

(1)

Where,

h2

2
2

Kh
m

R2

h2
2

KT
I

Mh

1
2

x
b

3 1
M i
8 k

r
b

b
V

Lh 1 i 2C

1 1 2C 2C
1
L i
2
2
k
k
k

Thus, lets express the above flutter equation in the following matrix form
h / b
h / b
2 1
A M

(2)

Where, K is the stiffness matrix, M mass matrix and A is the aerodynamic matrix. Note
that the aerodynamic matrix is a function of the reduced frequency, k . V-g method assumes
first the artificial structural damping, g .

K 1 ig K
For a given reduced frequency, k

1 ig

b
V

(3)

a complex eigenvalue problem appears.

h / b 1
h / b
A M

(4)

The eigenvalue is

1 ig
2

(5)

From this eigenvalue, we have

i2
1

2
Re
g

Im

Re

(6)
(7)

The complex eigenvalue problem, based on equation (4) is solved beginning with large values
of k and then decreasing k until a flutter velocity is found.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A comparison between the difference values of plunge stiffness, K h is obtained using V-g

method. Figure 2 and Figure 3 shows the graph of structural damping, g and frequency ratio,

respectively against velocity. The plots shows results for two modes of the wing model with
2-DOF which is pitch and plunge motion. The damping of the flutter velocity will be
determined when the function, g changes its sign. Subsequently, the flutter frequency is
obtained based on Figure 2.
To determine which curves represents on which mode, the 1st value for both upper and
lower is compared and it is found that, based on Figure 3, the upper curve is the pitching motion
and the lower curve is the plunge motion.

Motion
Plunge Motion
Pitching Motion

Curve
2 mode Lower Curve
1st mode Upper Curve
nd

Table 1 Mode determination to differentiate upper and lower curve

Figure 2 shows the relationship between structural damping, g and the velocity for flutter.
The structural damping is an artificial damping coefficient that were introduced in the V-g
method in order to determine the flutter velocity. Based on figure below, for initial condition,
as g approaches zero, the flutter velocity is 1.9 m/s by looking at the 1st mode of the system.
As the velocity increases, the damping reduces for both modes and as it approaches the flutter
velocity, the damping increases again and this represents the amplitude of the system is
increasing and flutter occurs beyond the related velocity.
In a variations value of K h , the function g reduces making the system stiffer and this has
impacted the flutter velocity as the flutter velocity shifts to the left depicting the flutter happens
at earlier speed.

Figure 2 Graph of artificial structural damping, g against velocity

Figure 3 Graph of frequency ratio against velocity

As for the frequency, an increase value of K h will reduces the frequency ratio. For 1st
mode, the distinct difference of the frequency can be seen after the flutter frequency. This
shows that the flutter motion becomes dominant and greater in the oscillations motions.
Below shows the summary of variations in K h values,
Kh
g

Initial

30% Increase

50% Increase

1.9 m/s
0.63

1.7 m/s
0.75

1.6 m/s
0.80

Table 2 Summary of variations in K h values towards structural damping and frequency ratio

4 REFERENCES
[1] Stanciu, V., Stroe, G., & Andrei, I. C. (2012). Linear Models and Calculation of Aeroelastic
Flutter. U.P.B. Sci. Bull., 74(2), 29-38.