Flutter analysis of the thermal protection layer on the NASA HIAD
A combination of classical plate theory and a supersonic aerodynamic model is used to study the aeroelastic flutter behavior of a proposed thermal protection system (TPS) for the NASA HIAD. The analysis pertains to the rectangular configurations currently being tested in a NASA wind-tunnel facility, and may explain why oscillations of the articles could be observed. An analysis using a linear flat plate model indicated that flutter was possible well within the supersonic flow regime of the wind tunnel tests. A more complex nonlinear analysis of the TPS, taking into account any material curvature present due to the restraint system or substructure, indicated that significantly greater aerodynamic forcing is required for the onset of flutter. Chaotic and periodic limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) of the TPS are possible depending on how the curvature is imposed. When the pressure from the base substructure on the bottom of the TPS is used as the source of curvature, the flutter boundary increases rapidly and chaotic behavior is eliminated. © 2013 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
