Identification of nonlinear aeroelastic systems based on the Volterra theory: Progress and opportunities

The identification of nonlinear aeroelastic systems based on the Volterra theory of nonlinear systems is presented. Recent applications of the theory to problems in computational and experimental aeroelasticity are reviewed. Computational results include the development of computationally efficient reduced-order models (ROMs) using an Euler/Navier-Stokes flow solver and the analytical derivation of Volterra kernels for a nonlinear aeroelastic system. Experimental results include the identification of aerodynamic impulse responses, the application of higher-order spectra (HOS) to wind-tunnel flutter data, and the identification of nonlinear aeroelastic phenomena from flight flutter test data of the active aeroelastic wing (AAW) aircraft.