Nonlinear multibody modeling of flexible aircraft with flared hinged wingtips
File(s)Chen - Journal_of_AC_2024__R1.pdf (6.31 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Cheng, Kelvin Chi-Wing
Cea, Alvaro
Palacios, Rafael
Castrichini, Andrea
Wilson, Thomas
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A nonlinear simulation strategy is presented for low-speed flexible aircraft with flared hinged wings. A multibody solver based on geometrically exact composite beams is coupled with unsteady vortex lattice aerodynamics in the time domain. The structural model is first verified against simulations on a flexible double pendulum at various stiffness and hinge orientations. Aeroelastic simulations of a flexible wing with flared hinged wingtips are then conducted and compared against previous experimental and numerical results. Finally, a full-vehicle configuration featuring flared hinged wingtips is introduced based on a high-altitude, long-endurance T-tail aircraft. Aeroelastic trim and equilibrium states are computed for both the original vehicle and the modified aircraft with hinged wingtips for the analysis of 1𝑔 plus gust responses in the vertical and lateral directions. Results shed light on the coupled nonlinear aeroelastics and flight dynamics exhibited by various configurations of varying mass and stiffness definitions in gust encounters. It is found that the response of the aircraft with flared hinged wingtips, considering geometrical nonlinearities, is predominantly bounded by that of cases with extended and upturned wingtips, with nonlinear trends in flare angle, gust lengths, and intensities uncovered and weighed in their contributions to the overall flexible aircraft dynamics.
Date Issued
2025-07-01
Date Acceptance
2024-12-06
Citation
Journal of Aircraft: devoted to aeronautical science and technology, 2025, 62 (4)
ISSN
0021-8669
Publisher
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Aircraft: devoted to aeronautical science and technology
Volume
62
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2024 by K. Cheng, A. Cea, R. Palacios, A. Castrichini, and T. Wilson. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-02-13