Aeroelastic Model Updating

Clear Science Corp. proposes to develop Aeroelastic Model Updating (AMU) software that enables safer, more efficient and accurate flutter testing of military aircraft. Aircraft certification involves a battery of expensive and sometimes risky flight tests. The proposed tool will reduce costs by reducing required hours of flutter testing and will reduce risk by providing supplemental aeroelastic-response data to test personnel prior to and during flight tests. The software consists of low-dimensional, computationally efficient models that predict aeroelastic responses in aircraft during flight tests and that can be calibrated or updated with flight data as they become available. The computational efficiency of the reduced-order models facilitates the required quick turnaround of predictions that is not possible with high-dimensional aeroelastic models. Phase I applied the method in predicting aeroelastic responses of an AGARD 445.6 wing, demonstrating the technical merit and feasibility of the approach. Phase II will transition the technology to applications involving full aircraft configurations with large, computationally intensive simulations and large numbers of aeroelastic modes. Using the software to fuse data from multiple sources will facilitate more informed decisions during the aircraft certification process, will lower program costs, and will reduce risk to pilots and aircraft. BENEFIT: The commercial product that Clear Science Corp will develop is a computational toolbox for modeling aeroelastic responses in flight vehicles and using data from different sources to update and calibrate the models. The software is designed to enhance and streamline flight certification testing required in military aircraft by providing model predictions in real time during tests. Potential military applications range from fixed-wing aircraft to rotorcraft, munitions, and next-generation air platforms like micro-air vehicles. The design process relies on a mixture of laboratory testing, computational modeling, and final performance evaluations in a variety of products. The proposed software is designed to accommodate data from both simulations and field tests in a range of engineering problems with the intent of maximizing marketability. Potential uses extend from aeroelasticity analyses to CFD-based aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, and aero-acoustic analyses and beyond to a host of engineering disciplines in and outside the aerospace industry. The primary pool of potential customers consists of DoD agencies, NASA, US government contractors, and commercial businesses that develop, design, and test products involving fluid-structure interaction as it relates to efficient and safe operation. Commercial business sectors include the aerospace, automotive, medical, and manufacturing industries.