Numerical study on the nonlinear characteristics of shock induced two-dimensional panel flutter in inviscid flow

Abstract For an aeroelastic system of a two-dimensional elastic panel subjected to an impinging inviscid oblique shockwave, the nonlinear flutter characteristics are affected by many factors such as shock impingement location, cavity pressure and initial perturbation. The effects of the above factors on the variation of system bifurcation type and dynamic behaviors are investigated numerically. A low-fidelity computational method coupled with local piston theory and van Karman plate model, and a high-fidelity computational method coupled with Euler equations and finite element model are used for fluid-structure interaction simulations. Two sets of new findings are unveiled. First, either the variation of shock impingement location or cavity pressure can induce the aeroelastic system to transition between a subcritical bifurcation and a supercritical bifurcation. For some cases, the system bifurcation characteristics exhibit strong sensitivity to these two factors. Second, it is found that in addition to the limit cycle oscillation (LCO) in the form of a combination of the second and third structural modes, multiple stable LCOs due to the coupling of higher-order modes can be triggered by proper initial perturbations. These LCOs are attributed with high frequencies and some of them even have high amplitudes, which indicates the higher risk of structural fatigue failure.