Virtual flutter testing of next-generation aircraft prototypes

— fundamental research on predictive and data-based methods

Funded by Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, „Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik 2050 – Nachhaltig-Digital-Kooperativ“

Cooperation partner

As part of the Aerospace Strategy 2050, the joint goal of achieving sustainable aviation and space technology is pursued. For a sustainable future, ultra-light aircraft structures are required, characterized by high-aspect-ratio wings and optimally distributed propulsion systems. Fundamental research must be conducted on the increased susceptibility to dangerous flutter vibrations in wings with high aspect ratios. Moving beyond traditional linear theories, our focus is on exploring nonlinear behaviors to ensure safe aircraft operation below critical speeds and to accurately predict bounded flutter-induced vibrations. We propose fundamental research into knowledge-driven multi-scale, multiphysics models and intelligent surrogate models derived from detailed simulations or data. These models will support disruptive innovations and offer insights into complex nonlinear dynamics and uncertainties. In collaboration with the Institute of Aerodynamics and the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion at the University of Stuttgart, we are enhancing scientific outcomes by focusing on nonlinear aeroelastic interactions, structural damping, and cutting-edge mitigation technologies like auxetic metamaterials and vibro-impact nonlinear energy sinks to control flutter. Together, we are advancing the development of virtual prototypes and digital twins of aircraft to predictively model aeroelastic properties across their operational lifespan.

Investigation of advanced damping technologies integrating auxetic metamaterials into aircraft wings to facilitate effective flutter control in aircraft designs.

Project-related publications

  1. T. Ricken, J. Schroeder, J. Bluhm, S. Maike, and F. Bartel, “Theoretical formulation and computational aspects of a two-scale homogenization scheme combining the TPM and FE2 method for poro-elastic fluid-saturated porous media,” International Journal of Solids and Structures, vol. 241, p. 111412, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2021.111412.
  2. N. Grünfelder, B. P. Savall, S. M. Seyedpour, N. Waschinsky, and T. Ricken, “Exploring the dependencies of Poisson’s ratio in auxetic structures,” PAMM, 2024, doi: 10.1002/pamm.202400073.
  3. L. Mandl, A. Mielke, S. M. Seyedpour, and T. Ricken, “Affine transformations accelerate the training of physics-informed neural networks of a one-dimensional consolidation problem,” Scientific reports, vol. 13, p. 15566, 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-42141-x.
  4. S. Maike, J. Schröder, J. Bluhm, and T. Ricken, “A mesh--in--element method for the theory of porous media,” International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 2024, doi: 10.1002/nme.7565.
  5. A. Armiti-Juber and T. Ricken, “Model order reduction for deformable porous materials in thin domains via asymptotic analysis,” Archive of Applied Mechanics, vol. 92, no. 2, Art. no. 2, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00419-021-01907-3.
  6. D. Pivovarov et al., “Challenges of order reduction techniques for problems involving polymorphic uncertainty,” GAMM-Mitteilungen, vol. 42, no. 2, Art. no. 2, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/gamm.201900011.
  7. N. Waschinsky, F.-J. Barthold, and A. Menzel, “Structural optimisation of diffusion driven degradation processes,” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 64, pp. 889--903, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-021-02900-8.
This image shows Navina Waschinsky

Navina Waschinsky

Dr.-Ing.

Head of Optimization & Uncertainty Quantification Group, Researcher

This image shows Manmit Padhy

Manmit Padhy

M.Sc.

Research Assistant

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