Limit Cycle Oscillation of a Plate with Piezoelectric Elements in Supersonic Flow

Fluid structure interaction of an elastic plate with piezoelectric elements, turbulent freestream flow at Mach 2.5, and a pressurized cavity is investigated computationally and correlated with a recent experiment. The pressure field on the surface of the plate is measured using pressure sensitive paint and the structural response is observed using the measured voltage of a piezoelectric patch. The pressure and structural response are investigated in terms of frequency content and amplitude variation over time. The measurements show a dominant frequency of oscillation which indicates the likely onset of flutter and a post-flutter limit cycle oscillation (LCO). A computational investigation is conducted to study the effects of static pressure differential, temperature differential, cavity pressure coupling, and plate boundary conditions on the linear flutter onset condition and the nonlinear post-flutter LCO characteristics. ....