Active control of wing flutter using piezoactuated surface

A flutter suppression concept is demonstrated by performing wind-tunnel tests in a low subsonic flow regime. The wing model, with a trailing edge control surface, is constructed to have a bending-torsion flutter. The control surface is actuated by a flexure-hinged lead zirconate titanate stack mechanism acting as an aerodynamic effector. The flutter experiments are conducted using a digital controller, implemented in dSPACE DS1104, keeping the wing model at 4 deg angle of attack. The wing response is measured by lead zirconate titanate sensors, which are used to generate the feedback control to vibrate the control surface in antiphase motion with respect to the main surface to introduce active aerodynamic control. It is noticed that both bending and torsion modes are stabilized in closed-loop configurations. The damping trend of the flutter mode shows an expanded flutter envelope that is estimated to be around 20%. The actuators are operated within 1000 V/mm, though their allowable field strength is 1500 V/mm.