Application of Shape Memory Alloys for Flutter Suppression in a Propeller-Driven Typical Section

Future aerial mobility will likely be powered by propeller propulsion, as it is more suitable for use in combination with electric motors. Therefore avoiding rotor instabilities becomes a major concern in the early project phases for the next generation of aircraft. Within this context, this work focuses on the application of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) for Whirl Flutter (WF) suppression in propeller-driven aircraft. SMAs have a thermal-dependent modulus of elasticity, which allows the use of this class of materials to locally control the stiffness of the connections between the motor and the wing. For most of the flight, the mounting stiffness could be maintained at a minimum to better isolate the vibration coming from the motor, and only at high speeds it could be increased to avoid aeroelastic instabilities. To conduct the study, a 4 degree of freedom (dof) model of a wing section with an installed rotor was implemented and verified.