Static and Dynamic Simulations of the Pazy Wing Aeroelastic Benchmark by Nonlinear Potential Aerodynamics and detailed FE Model

Abstract

The Pazy wing test case is a new benchmark for the investigation of aeroelastic effects at very large deflections. Tip deformations in the order of 50% span were measured in wind tunnel tests which renders this model highly attractive for the validation of numerical aeroelastic methods and tools for geometrically nonlinear, large deflection analyses. In this paper we present static coupling simulations and stability analyses for the Pazy wing for a series of onflow velocities and angles of attack. The numerical approach involves a three-dimensional, geometrically nonlinear potential aerodynamic method coupled to a commercial finite element code in a nonlinear (Lagrangian) solution sequence. This approach allows the use of the full FE structural model of the wing which comprises the (aluminum) spar and a 3D printed rib structure. For the stability analyses, the unsteady vortex lattice model is linearized analytically and combined with the structural model (both in discrete time), and the eigenvalues of the dynamics matrix are calculated (p-method). Results of the nonlinear static coupling simulations are presented for onflow velocities of 30, 40, and 50 m/s. The aeroelastic stability of the wing is investigated about states of large static deflections and shows significant variation as the deflection is increased.