An Aeroelastic Analysis of a Thin Flexible Membrane

utter onset. The purpose of this paper is to describe and begin addressing these issues. The paper includes a review of the literature associated with the structural analysis of membranes and membrane utter. Flow/structure analysis coupling and hypersonic ow solver options are also discussed. An approach is proposed for tackling this problem that starts with a relatively simple geometry and develops and evaluates analysis methods and procedures. This preliminary study considers a computationally manageable 2-dimensional problem. The membrane structural models used in the paper include a nonlinear nite-dierence model for static and dynamic analysis and a NASTRAN nite element membrane model for nonlinear static and linear normal modes analysis. Both structural models are coupled with a structured compressible ow solver for static aeroelastic analysis. For dynamic aeroelastic analyses, the NASTRAN normal modes are used in the structured compressible ow solver and 3rd order piston theories were used with the nite dierence membrane model to simulate utter onset. Results from the various static and dynamic aeroelastic analyses are compared.