Advanced aeroelastic robust stability analysis with structural uncertainties

Robust flutter analysis described in this paper is based on the robust control theory framework. Therefore, a time-domain linear fractional transformation representation of the perturbed aeroelastic system is modeled. Then, the robust stability is analyzed by means of the structured singular value $$\mu$$ , which is defined as an alternative measure of robustness. Robust flutter analysis deals with aeroelastic (or aeroservoelastic) stability analysis taking structural dynamics, aerodynamics and/or unmodeled system dynamics uncertainties into account. Flutter is a well-known dynamic aeroelastic instability phenomenon caused by an interaction between structural vibrations and unsteady aerodynamic forces, whereby the level of vibration may trigger large amplitudes, eventually leading to catastrophic failure of the structure. The primary motivation of the robust flutter analysis is that this method allows the computation of the worst-case flutter velocity which can support, for example, the flight test program by a valuable robust flutter boundary. This paper addresses the issue of an approach for aeroelastic robust stability analysis with structural uncertainties with respect to physical symmetric and asymmetric stiffness perturbations on the wing structure by means of tuning beams.