Flutter Limits and Behaviors of a Flexible Thin Sheet in High-Speed Flow— I: Analytical Method for Prediction of the Sheet Behavior

Abstract

An analytical method is proposed for the prediction of fluttering of a flexible thin sheet or web swept by fluid flow. It assumes self-excited aeroelastic oscillation of the sheet with infinitesimally small amplitude. The flow and the sheet motion are expressed by distributed vortices over the sheet and the wake, and by bending motions of a number of short segments constituting the sheet. The obtained system of equations determines the flutter limits, the oscillation modes and frequencies. The method treats particularly well the situation of very low mass ratios where the modes are far from those in vacuum and progressive waves are predominant. [S0098-2202(00)01101-9]