Session: 02-04-01: Experimental Studies in Structural Dynamics

Paper Number: 133498

133498 - Experimental and Numerical Simulation of the Aerothermoelastic Behavior of Thin Panels at Mach 6 

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Structural Sciences Center recently conducted an experiment in the AFRL Mach 6 High Reynolds Number Facility exploring the aerothermoelastic response of metallic panels with thicknesses of 381, 508, and 635 μm. Simultaneous, full-field measurements of the panel response were made using stereo digital image correlation, an infrared camera, and a shadowgraph system. Each panel was also instrumented with strain gages and thermocouples. Sustained and repeatable large-amplitude oscillations were observed for each panel thickness at different freestream conditions and angle of attack. The presentation will contain a detailed analysis of the experimental data to assess the type of post-flutter behavior (i.e., periodic or chaotic) and the non-uniform spatial-temporal thermal response.

Aerothermoelastic simulations will also be performed for experimental conditions where panel flutter was observed. Structural reduced-order models (ROMs) with nonlinear geometric effects will be created for each panel. The structural ROMs will be tailored to pre-test modal characterization data of the machined panels by modifying components of the linear stiffness matrix. The simulations will be used to explore the panel response sensitivity and level of coupling required. The panel response sensitivity will be examined in terms of the static or transient loading, structural boundary conditions, and initial conditions. Coupling requirements will be explored by comparing prediction accuracy between aeroelastic and aerothermoelastic simulations.

Presenting Author: Zachary Riley AFRL

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Riley received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State University in 2016. His dissertation research focused on the interaction of aerothermally compliant structures and boundary-layer transition in hypersonic flow. Since 2016 he has worked with the AFRL Structural Sciences Center (SSC) primarily designing and conducted aerothermoelastic experiments in various wind tunnel facilities. His current research areas include experimental and computational aerothermoelasticity, non-intrusive flow diagnostics, and hypersonic boundary layer transition.