ICNPAA 2010: Mathematical Problems in
Engineering, Aerospace and Sciences

In this paper, a flutter boundary prediction technique for an aeroeasltic/ aeroservoelastic structure is introduced. This approach utilizes time series flight flutter test data to compute an accurate estimate of the flutter speed. The flutter boundary prediction tool discussed in this paper can be categorized into three steps. (i) A signal preprocessing technique is introduced to compute the auto power spectrum when only responses from sensors can be measured due to a strong turbulence perturbation during flight flutter test. (ii) A frequency domain system identification methodology combined with a stabilization diagram is implemented to extract elastic modes of the flexible structure. Accuracy of modes estimated in the second step directly affects the robustness of flutter prediction. (iii) A well known flutter prediction tool, the so-called Zimmerman-Weissenburger flutter margin, is used to perform flutter prediction. Application of the proposed flutter boundary prediction method to the Aeroelastic Test Wing (ATW) demonstrates that it is an efficient tool for flutter boundary prediction of aeroelastic/aseroservoelastic structures.