Nonlinear supersonic post-flutter response of two-bay composite laminate curved panels

Aeronautical external structures are typically composed of multiple curved panels connected by reinforcement elements that allow structural interaction between the bays. In this context, the present study performs a numerical investigation on the nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of multibay composite laminate curved panels exposed to cross-stream supersonic flow. The post-flutter behavior of thin cylindrical shallow shells with H/h = 1 and H/h = 2 curvature ratios is examined for symmetric and asymmetric cross-ply laminates. Different from the majority of the studies, the nonlinear panel flutter assessment was not exclusively based on oscillation amplitudes but also energy quantification. Results have shown that the interaction between adjacent bays leads the system to a more complex behavior with higher energetic LCO compared to the widely used single panel approach. Additionally, the mechanical energy discretization concerning the fluttering two-bay panel arrangement exhibited how each bay operates with remarkably distinctive amounts of mechanical energy, which may be used as a direction in the design of active and passive control techniques for flutter suppression.