Aeroelastic Coupled Mode Behavior of Swept Composite Wing

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Aircraft Mechanics, Military Technical College, CAIRO, EGYPT.

2 Department of Aircraft Mechanics, Military Technical College, EGYPT.

10.1088/1742-6596/3070/1/012001

Abstract

The aeroelastic behavior of swept composite wings is predominantly governed by the coupling
between bending and torsion modes due to the anisotropic characteristics of composite materials. This study
analytically investigates the aeroelastic response of swept rectangular wings, modeled as carbon fiber/epoxy plates,
to determine flutter and divergence speeds. The analytical approach integrates classical plate theory, Rayleigh-
Ritz energy formulation, potential and kinetic energy equations, and unsteady incompressible two-dimensional
aerodynamic theory within the Lagrange framework for free vibration and aeroelastic analyses. Numerical free
vibration analysis is conducted using NASTRAN to validate the proposed analytical model. V-g curves are
employed to extract flutter and divergence speeds, and the results exhibit excellent agreement with published
findings. The study reveals that negative bending-torsion coupling stiffness significantly increases the likelihood
of divergence occurring before flutter. Positive bending-torsion coupling significantly increases the divergence
speed, effectively shifting the critical divergence speed beyond the typical flight envelope. Moreover, increasing
the sweepback angle generally increases divergence speed. The effect on flutter speed is complex and depends on
various factors, such as fiber orientation, stacking sequence, and bending-torsion coupling. These findings provide
critical insights into aeroelastic behavior and offer a foundation for optimizing the performance and structural
design of swept composite wings.
International Conference on Aerospace Sciences and Aviation Technology
Volume 21, Issue 21
21st International Conference on Aerospace Sciences & Aviation Technology, ASAT 21, 2025.
September 2025
Pages 1-15

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics