Evaluating Flutter Derivatives of the Thin Plate by Applying the Numerical Simulation Method

A numerical simulation model based on Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) was presented to evaluate the flutter derivatives of streamlined section. This numerical model, derived from viscid incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and finite volume method, aimed to solve the flow field around section undergoing prescribed vibration, and obtained aerodynamic forces series, with the ultimate objective to extract the flutter derivatives of the section. The proposed model was applied to the thin plate, and its flutter derivatives were assessed . The results were compared with those obtained in wind tunnel tests and Theodorsen analytic solutions of the ideal flat plate, and better agreements were found, which confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed numerical method. This numerical model can be applied to identify the flutter derivatives of bridge sections.