Between Dec 19, 2024 and Jan 2, 2025, datasets can be submitted to DRUM but will not be processed until after the break. Staff will not be available to answer email during this period, and will not be able to provide DOIs until after Jan 2. If you are in need of a DOI during this period, consider Dryad or OpenICPSR. Submission responses to the UDC may also be delayed during this time.
 

Flight Dynamics Model of A Small Flexible Aircraft

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Persistent link to this item

Statistics
View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

Flight Dynamics Model of A Small Flexible Aircraft

Published Date

2019-12

Publisher

Type

Thesis or Dissertation

Abstract

The presence of aeroservoelastic effects in the flight dynamics of flexible aircraft presents significant challenges in terms of performance degradation and instability. In order to develop control system for such aircraft, an accurate flight dynamics model is needed. Developing such a model is an multi-disciplinary effort and re- quires theoretical and experimental knowledge and research. This thesis describes the development of the flight dynamics model of a small, flexible aircraft. Each step of the multi-stage process of the development of the flight dynamics model is described. The steps include designing and conducting vibration experiments on the aircraft for system identification of the structural dynamics and the devel- opment of a finite element model based structural model based on the acquired data. Aerodynamic models are developed and implemented using modifications of standard vortex and doublet lattice methods. The purpose of the modifications is to capture the geometric nonlinearity. The effects of these complex phenomena on the flight dynamics and instability (flutter) are analyzed. Mean axes based flight dynamics equations are utilized. These subcomponents are implemented in the simulation software SIMULINK to obtain the flight dynamics model. Flight tests are conducted to obtain data which is used to update the flight dynamics model by updating the aerodynamics model of the aircraft. A correction matrices based approach is used for this purpose. The resulting model has low computational cost but is capable of capturing complex behavior like geometric nonlinearities and un- steady aerodynamics. The low computational cost and modularity of the flight dynamics model makes it ideal for analysis of the effect of various kinds of aero- dynamics and structural phenomena. For example, the significant effects of the capturing the geometrically nonlinear aerodynamics on flutter characteristics of the aircraft are easily evaluated by this model without long, tedious and resource intensive computations. The model is also suitable for Monte-Carlo analysis to estimate the effect of various kinds of open-loop and closed-loop uncertainties.

Description

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. December 2019. Major: Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. Advisors: Peter Seiler, Gary Balas. 1 computer file (PDF); xii, 139 pages.

Related to

Replaces

License

Collections

Series/Report Number

Funding information

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Other identifiers

Suggested citation

Gupta, Abhineet. (2019). Flight Dynamics Model of A Small Flexible Aircraft. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/211757.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.