Experimental study of fuzzy aeroelastic control by piezoelectric actuation

• Grant number: 13/10117-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Flávio Donizeti Marques
• Grantee: Natália Cristina Gomes de Paula
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Aeronautical structures are submitted to undesirable aeroelastic phenomena which lead to aircraft performance loss, structural components instability or fail. These problems became even more prominent with the development of new materials, more flexible, and as they prevent the use of lighter, elongated and more efficient structures.In the past decades, researches aiming the development of active solutions for eliminating or postponing aeroelastic vibrations and phenomena such as flutter have stood out. They were strongly based on experimental investigation. Among these solutions, there are the smart structures, in which sensors and actuators are incorporated and integrated to a control system. This way, it becomes possible to adapt the structure to different operational conditions.The purpose of this research assignment is to study the control of the aeroelastic response of a typical wing section with two degrees of freedom with piezoelectric actuators incorporated to the elastic mount system. The control law will be based in fuzzy logic, which parameters will be determined through simplified mathematical models and aeroelastic vibration measures taken in wind tunnel tests.