Hypersonic flutter analysis and uncertainty quantification of composite honeycomb wing plates with various Poisson's ratios

Composite honeycomb structures mitigate aeroelastic instabilities in high-speed vehicles, yet predicting their flutter boundaries under thermo-structural uncertainties remains challenging. This paper presents a comprehensive computational framework to investigate the hypersonic aerothermoelastic flutter of cantilever trapezoidal plates with an orthotropic honeycomb core. By coupling first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) with hypersonic piston theory and incorporating thermal stress effects, the governing equations are efficiently solved using a coordinate-transformed differential quadrature method (DQM). A distinct feature of this study is the integration of Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) to perform rigorous uncertainty quantification, transitioning the analysis from a deterministic approach to a robust system assessment. Furthermore, a comparative analysis evaluating discrete Poisson's ratio configurations (negative, zero, and positive) is systematically conducted. Validated against finite element and experimental data, our parametric investigations reveal that the negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) core exhibits enhanced aeroelastic robustness and higher critical flutter boundaries compared to its zero and positive counterparts. Crucially, our parametric and sensitivity analyses reveal that specific core thickness configurations can significantly enhance natural frequencies and elevate critical flutter speeds under elevated temperatures. These results help engineers expand flutter boundaries and balance weight-to-stiffness in high-speed vehicles.