High Fidelity Computational and Wind Tunnel Models in Support of Certification Airworthiness of Control Surfaces with Freeplay and Other Nonlinear Features

The proposed work will establish high fidelity computational methods and wind tunnel test model in support of new freeplay criteria for the design, construction and controlled actuation of control surfaces with varying amounts of freeplay and their aeroelastic response. These methods will be validated with wind tunnel and flight test data. In Phase I a nonlinear computational aeroservoelastic methodology will be developed for freeplay induced flutter/LCO and gust response. Validation will be achieved by comparisons with legacy and new wind tunnel test data. In Phase II the methodology will be generalized to create a mature software capability for closed-loop aeroelastic systems in the trimmed/untrimmed state including gust, stick or random aeroacoustic excitations. An all movable tail wing wind tunnel test article will be designed and built with variable freeplay with initial test evaluation completed in Phase I and a thorough parameter variation data set and will be developed in Phase II for computational code validation in Phase II. Subject to available funding constraints both high speed transonic as well as subsonic will tunnel tests will be undertaken. In Phase III the computational methodology in combination wind tunnel test results will be used to support the improvement of the current FAA and/or MIL-SPEC freeplay aeroelastic response criteria. Following the successful demonstration and validation of the new computational methods, the methodology will be proposed for adoption by FAA for commercial applications and the DOD for military applications with the expectation that all major civilian and military aerospace industries will adopt the design/analysis methodology for freeplay induced LCO/flutter prevention.

Non-NASA potential applications represent a major sector from which sales opportunities can be pursued. Improvement of analysis and design methods for freeplay-induced flutter and LCO of an aeroelastic system is a common interest for wide range of aerospace and ocean as well as general engineering applications and, thus is highly demanded. Therefore, the US industrial companies, including various aerospace & ocean as well as general engineering companies such as Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin,Textron, and others, will be the major non-military potential customers that we will aggressively pursue.

Free-play induced flutter/LCO is critical for design of both civil and fighter plans, the direct application of this SBIR effort to the current interest to NASA represents a prime opportunity for further product development and enhancement and represents a considerable potential revenue stream in engineering support, plus further technology acquisition.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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