Active aeroelastic flutter analysis and vibration control of supersonic composite laminated plate

Abstract The active aeroelastic flutter analysis and vibration control at the flutter bounds of the supersonic composite laminated plates with the piezoelectric patches are studied. The piezoelectric patches are bonded on the top and bottom surfaces of the composite laminated plate to act as the sensor and actuator so that the active aeroelastic flutter suppression and vibration control for the supersonic laminated plate can be conducted. The unsteady aerodynamic pressure in supersonic flow is computed by using the supersonic piston theory. Hamilton’s principle with the assumed mode method is used to develop the governing equation of the structural system. The controller is designed by the velocity feedback and proportional feedback control algorithm, and the active damping and stiffness are obtained. The solutions for the complex eigenvalue problem are obtained by using the generalized eigenvalue methodology. The natural frequencies and damping ratios are also gotten. The aeroelastic flutter bounds of the supersonic composite laminated plate are calculated to investigate the characteristics of the aeroelastic flutter. The impulse responses of the structural system are calculated by using the Houbolt numerical algorithm to study the active aeroelastic vibration control. The influences of ply angle of the laminated plate and the control method on the characteristic of flutter and active vibration control are analyzed. From the numerical results it is observed that the aeroelastic flutter characteristics of the supersonic composite laminated plate can be improved and that the aeroelastic vibration response amplitudes can be reduced, especially at the flutter points, by the proportional feedback or the velocity feedback control algorithm using the piezoelectric actuator/sensor pairs. The effectiveness of the flutter control by the two control algorithms is also compared. The results of this study are of great significance to the flutter analysis and aeroelastic design of the aircraft.