Reduced-Order Modeling of Unsteady Aerodynamics for an Elastic Wing with Control Surfaces

Abstract

In this paper, a reduced-order modeling approach based on computational fluid dynamics is presented for an elastic wing with control surfaces in the transonic regime. To treat the computational fluid dynamics grid around the geometrical discontinuities, due to the deflection of control surfaces, the constant volume tetrahedron method and the transpiration method are combined together without deforming the grid. Based on the input–output data from the computational fluid dynamics solver, one multiple-input/multiple-output discrete-time state-space model for the wing is identified via a robust subspace algorithm. For each control surface, one one-input/multiple-output discrete-time state-space model is identified using the same algorithm. With the precomputed state-space models for a few flight parameters, the generalized aerodynamic forces over a range of flight parameters can be computed by interpolating the output data. The methodology is applied to an elastic wing model with two control surfaces and the generalized aerodynamic forces are compared with the results from the computational fluid dynamics solver to validate the reduced-order modeling approach in transonic regime.