Missile bodies and wings are typical examples of structures that can be represented by beam models. Such structures, loaded by follower forces along with aerodynamics, exhibit the vehicle's aeroelastic instabilities. The current research integrates a nonlinear beam dynamics and unsteady aerodynamics to conduct aeroelastic studies of missile bodies and wings subjected to follower forces. The structural formulations are based on a geometrically-exact, mixed finite element method. Slender-body theory and thin-airfoil theory are used for the missile aerodynamics, and two-dimensional finite-state unsteady aerodynamics is used for wing aerodynamics. The aeroelastic analyses are performed using time-marching scheme for the missile body stability, and eigenvalue analysis for the wing flutter, respectively. Results from the time-marching formulation agree with published results for dynamic stability and show the development of limit cycle oscillations for disturbed flight near and above the critical thrust. Parametric studies of the aeroelastic behavior of specific flexible missile configurations are presented, including effects of flexibility on stability, limit-cycle amplitudes, and missile loads. The results do yield a significant interaction between the thrust, which is a follower force, and the aeroelastic stability. Parametric studies based on the eigenvalue analysis for the wing flutter, show that the predicted stability boundaries are very sensitive to the ratio of bending stiffness to torsional stiffness. The effect of thrust can be either stabilizing or destabilizing, depending on the value of this parameter. An assessment whether or not the magnitude of thrust needed to influence the flutter speed is practical is made for one configuration. The flutter speed is shown to change by 11% for this specific wing configuration.

Effects of engine placement on flutter characteristics of a very flexible high-aspect-ratio wing are investigated using the code NATASHA (Nonlinear Aeroelastic Trim And Stability of HALE Aircraft). The analysis was validated against published results for divergence and flutter of swept wings and found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results of the classical wing of Goland. Moreover, modal frequencies and damping obtained for the Goland wing were found in excellent agreement with published results based on a new continuum-based unsteady aerodynamic formulation. Gravity for this class of wings plays an important role in flutter characteristics. In the absence of aerodynamic and gravitational forces and without an engine, the kinetic energy of the first two modes are calculated. Maximum and minimum flutter speed locations coincide with the area of minimum and maximum kinetic energy of the second bending and torsion modes. Time-dependent dynamic behavior of a turboshaft engine (JetCat SP5) is simulated with a transient engine model and the nonlinear aeroelastic response of the wing to the engine's time-dependent thrust and dynamic excitation is presented. Below the flutter speed, at the wing tip and behind the elastic axis, the impulse engine excitation leads to a stable limit cycle oscillation; and for the ramp kind of excitation, beyond the flutter speed, at 75% span, behind the elastic axis, it produces chaotic oscillation of the wing. Both the excitations above the flutter speed are stabilized, on the inboard portion of the wing. Effects of engine placement and sweep on flutter characteristics of a backswept flying wing resembling the Horten IV are explored using NATASHA. This aircraft exhibits a non-oscillatory yawing instability, expected in aircraft with neither a vertical tail nor yaw control. More important, however, is the presence of a low frequency “body-freedom flutter” mode. The aircraft center of gravity was held fixed during the study, which allowed aircraft controls to trim similarly for each engine location, and minimized flutter speed variations along the inboard span. Maximum flutter speed occurred for engine placement just outboard of 60% span with engine center of gravity forward of the elastic axis. The body-freedom flutter mode was largely unaffected by the engine placement except for cases in which the engine is placed at the wing tip and near the elastic axis. In the absence of engines, aerodynamics, and gravity, a region of minimum kinetic energy density for the first symmetric free-free bending mode is also near the 60% span. A possible relationship between the favorable flutter characteristics obtained by placing the engines at that point and the region of minimum kinetic energy is briefly explored. Effects of multiple engine placement on a similar type of aircraft are studied. The results showed that multiple engine placement increases flutter speed particularly when the engines are placed in the outboard portion of the wing (60% to 70% span), forward of the elastic axis, while the lift to drag ratio is affected negligibly. The behavior of the sub- and supercritical eigenvalues is studied for two cases of engine placement. NATASHA captures a hump body-freedom flutter with low frequency for the clean wing case, which disappears as the engines are placed on the wings. In neither case is there any apparent coalescence between the unstable modes. NATASHA captures other non-oscillatory unstable roots with very small amplitude, apparently originating with flight dynamics. For the clean-wing case, in the absence of aerodynamic and gravitational forces, the regions of minimum kinetic energy density for the first and third bending modes are located around 60% span. For the second mode, this kinetic energy density has local minima around the 20% and 80% span. The regions of minimum kinetic energy of these modes are in agreement with calculations that show a noticeable increase in flutter speed at these regions if engines are placed forward of the elastic axis. High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft can achieve sustained, uninterrupted flight time if they use solar power. Wing morphing of solar powered HALE aircraft can significantly increase solar energy absorbency. An example of the kind of morphing considered in this thesis requires the wings to fold so as to orient a solar panel to be hit more directly by the sun's rays at specific times of the day. In this study solar powered HALE flying wing aircraft are modeled with three beams with lockable hinge connections. Such aircraft are shown to be capable of morphing passively, following the sun by means of aerodynamic forces and engine thrusts. The analysis underlying NATASHA was extended to include the ability to simulate morphing of the aircraft into a “Z” configuration. Because of the “long endurance” feature of HALE aircraft, such morphing needs to be done without relying on actuators and at as near zero energy cost as possible. The emphasis of this study is to substantially demonstrate the processes required to passively morph a flying wing into a Z-shaped configuration and back again.

L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de modéliser en flambement des poutres pressurisées en tissu souple homogène orthotrope (THO) composite. La première partie détaille les études expérimentales qui ont été menées sur des poutres gonflables à certain niveaux de pression afin de caractériser les propriétés mécaniques du matériau et le comportement en flambement de la structure. Dans une deuxième partie, une approche analytique a été envisagée afin d’étudier le flambement ainsi que le comportement d’une poutre gonflable orthotrope. Un modèle 3D gonflables poutre orthotrope basé sur la cinématique de Timoshenko a été présenté brièvement. La charge critique a été étudiée pour différents cas de charge avec différentes conditions aux limites. Les résultats ont été confrontés aux résultats théoriques disponibles. Pour vérifier la limite de validité des résultats, la charge d’apparition des plis a également fait l’objet d’une étude pour chacun des cas. La dernière partie est consacrée à une étude linéaire et à une analyse non-linéaire du flambement de la poutre gonflable en THO composite. Le modèle éléments finis (MEF) établi ici implique un élément poutre de Timoshenko à trois-nœuds avec une continuité de type C0. Un test de convergence du maillage sur la force critique de la poutre a été réalisé par la résolution du problème aux valeurs propres. En outre, un MEF non-linéaire a été développé en utilisant la procédure itérative de quasi-Newton avec incréments de chargement adaptatif permettant le tracé pas à pas de la réponse charge-déflexion de la poutre. Les résultats ont été validés à partir d’un certain niveau de pression par des résultats expérimentaux et numériques / The main goals of this thesis are to modeling and to perform the buckling study of inflatable beams made from homogeneous orthotropic woven fabric (HOWF) composite. Three main scenarios were investigated in this thesis. The first is the experimental studies which were performed on HOWF inflatable beam in various inflation pressures for characterizing the orthotropic mechanical properties and buckling behaviors of the beam. In the second scenario, an analytical approach was considered to study the buckling and the behavior of an inflatable orthotropic beam. A 3D inflatable orthotropic beam model based on the Timoshenko's kinematics was briefly introduced: the nonlinearities (finite rotation, follower forces) were included in this model. The results were compared with theoretical results available in the literature. To check the limit of validity of the results, the wrinkling load was also presented in every case. The last scenario is devoted to the linear eigen and non-linear buckling analysis of inflatable beam made of HOWF. The finite element (FE) model established here involves a three-noded Timoshenko beam element with C0-type continuity for the transverse displacement and quadratic shape functions for the bending rotation and the axial displacement. In the linear buckling analysis, a mesh convergence test on the beam critical load was carried out by solving the linearized eigenvalue problem. In addition, a nonlinear FE model was developed by using the quasi-Newton iteration with adaptive load stepping for tracing load-deflection response of the beam. The results were validated from a certain pressure level by experimental and thin-shell FE results

The first part of this Thesis deals with the analysis of piecewise-smooth mechanical systems and the definition of special stability criteria in presence of non-conservative follower forces. To illustrate the peculiar stability properties of this kind of dynamical system, a reference 2 d.o.f. structure has been considered, composed of a rigid bar, with one and constrained to slide, without friction, along a curved profile, whereas the other and is subject to a follower force. In particular, the curved constraint is assumed to be composed of two circular profiles, with different and opposite curvatures, defining two separated subsystems. Due to this jump in the curvature, located at the junction point between the curved profiles, the entire mechanical structure can be modelled by discontinuous equations of motion, the differential equations valid in each subsystem can be combined, leading to the definition of a piecewise-smooth dynamical system. When a follower force acts on the structure, an unexpected and counterintuitive behaviour may occur: although the two subsystems are stable when analysed separately, the composed structure is unstable and exhibits flutter-like exponentially-growing oscillations. This special form of instability, previously known only from a mathematical point of view, has been analysed in depth from an engineering perspective, thus finding a mechanical interpretation based on the concept of non-conservative follower load. Moreover, the goal of this work is also the definition of some stability criteria that may help the design of these mechanical piecewise-smooth systems, since classical theorems cannot be used for the investigation of equilibrium configurations located at the discontinuity. In the literature, this unusual behaviour has been explained, from a mathematical perspective, through the existence of a discontinuous invariant cone in the phase space. For this reason, starting from the mechanical system described above, the existence of invariant cones in 2 d.o.f. mechanical systems is investigated through Poincaré maps. A complete theoretical analysis on piecewise-smooth dynamical systems is presented and special mathematical properties have been discovered, valid for generic 2~d.o.f. piecewise-smooth mechanical systems, which are useful for the characterisation of the stability of the equilibrium configurations. Numerical tools are implemented for the analysis of a 2~d.o.f. piecewise-smooth mechanical system, valid for piecewise-linear cases and extendible to the nonlinear ones. A numerical code has been developed, with the aim of predicting the stability of a piecewise-linear dynamical system a priori, varying the mechanical parameters. Moreover, “design maps” are produced for a given subset of the parameters space, so that a system with a desired stable or unstable behaviour can easily be designed. The aforementioned results can find applications in soft actuation or energy harvesting. In particular, in systems devoted to exploiting the flutter-like instability, the range of design parameters can be extended by using piecewise-smooth instead of smooth structures, since unstable flutter-like behaviour is possible also when each subsystem is actually stable. The second part of this Thesis deals with the numerical analysis of an elastic cloak for transient flexural waves in Kirchhoff-Love plates and the design of special metamaterials for this goal. In the literature, relevant applications of transformation elastodynamics have revealed that flexural waves in thin elastic plates can be diverted and channelled, with the aim of shielding a given region of the ambient space. However, the theoretical transformations which define the elastic properties of this “invisibility cloak” lead to the presence of a strong compressive prestress, which may be unfeasible for real applications. Moreover, this theoretical cloak must present, at the same time, high bending stiffness and a null twisting rigidity. In this Thesis, an orthotropic meta-structural plate is proposed as an approximated elastic cloak and the presence of the prestress has been neglected in order to be closer to a realistic design. With the aim of estimating the performance of this approximated cloak, a Finite Element code is implemented, based on a sub-parametric technique. The tool allows the investigation of the sensitivity of specific stiffness parameters that may be difficult to match in a real cloak design. Moreover, the Finite Element code is extended to investigate a meta-plate interacting with a Winkler foundation, to analyse how the substrate modulus transforms in the cloak region. This second topic of the Thesis may find applications in the realization of approximated invisibility cloaks, which can be employed to reduce the destructive effects of earthquakes on civil structures or to shield mechanical components from unwanted vibrations.

L'objectif principal visé par cette thèse est de modéliser les poutres gonflables en textiles techniques orthotropes. Les approches statiques font l'objet de ce rapport. Avant d'aborder ce problème, nous avons été amenés à identifier tous les paramètres qui ont un effet direct sur les propriétés mécaniques effectives de ces composites. Ainsi, nous avons développé un modèle micro mécanique de prédiction de ces propriétés mécaniques. Le modèle proposé est basé sur l’analyse d'un volume élémentaire représentatif (VER) prenant en compte non seulement les propriétés mécaniques et la. fraction de volume de chaque phase dans le VER mais également leur géométrie et leur architecture. Chaque fil dans le VER a été modélisé comme un matériau isotrope transverse (contenant les fibres et la résine). La méthode dite d’assemblage de cylindres a été utilisée pour l’homogénéisation au niveau des fils. Une deuxième homogénéisation est ensuite réalisée. Elle prend en compte la fraction de volume de chaque constituant (fils de chaîne, fils de trame et résine non prise en compte dans les fils). Le modèle a été validé par des résultats expérimentaux existant dans la littérature. Une élude paramétrique a été menée afin d'étudier les effets des divers paramètres géométriques et mécaniques sur ces propriétés mécaniques. Dans l'analyse structurale, un modèle poutre gonflable 3D de Timoshenko en tissu orthotrope a été proposé. Il prend en compte les non-linéarités géométriques et l'effet de la force suiveuse générée par la pression de gonflage. Les équations d'équilibre non-linéaires dérivent du principe des travaux virtuels en configuration lagrangienne totale. Dans une première approche, une linéarisation a été faite autour de la configuration de référence précontrainte pour obtenir les équations adaptées aux problèmes linéaires. A titre d'exemple, le problème de flexion plane a été abordé. Quatre cas de conditions aux limites ont été traités et les résultats obtenus améliorent les modèles existants dans le cas de tissu isotrope. Les charges de plissage ont été également proposées dans chaque cas traité. Dans une deuxième approche, les équations non-linéaires ont été discrétisées par la méthode des éléments finis. Deux types de solutions ont été alors proposées : les solutions aux problèmes éléments finis linéaires obtenues par une linéarisation des équations discrétisées autour de la configuration de référence précontrainte et les solutions aux problèmes éléments finis non-linéaires réalisées en adoptant une méthode Quasi-Newton sous sa forme incrémentale. A titre d’exemple, la flexion d’une poutre encastrée-libre a été étudiée et les résultats améliorent les modèles théoriques. Le modèle éléments finis non-linéaire a été comparé favorablement à un modèle éléments finis coque mince 3D. Une étude paramétrique a été ensuite effectuée. Elle a porté sur l'influence des propriétés mécaniques et sur de la pression de gonflage sur la réponse de la poutre. Les solutions éléments finis linéaires se sont avérées proches des résultats théoriques linéarisés d'une part et les résultats du modèle éléments finis non-linéaire se sont avérés proches des résultats du modèle linéaire dans le cas des propriétés mécaniques élevées alors que le modèle éléments finis non-linéaire est indispensable pour modéliser ces poutres lorsque les propriétés mécaniques du tissu sont faibles / The main objective of this thesis was to model inflatable beams made frorn orthotropic woven fabric composites. The static aspects were investigated in this report. Before planning to develop these models, it was necessary to know all the parameters which have a direct effect on the effective mechanical properties these composites. Thus, a micro­ mechanical model was performed for predicting the effective mechanical properties. The proposed model was based on the analysis of the representative volume element (RVE). The model took into account not only the mechanical properties and volume fraction of each components in the RVE but also their geometry and architecture. Each yarn in the RVE was modelled as a transversely isotropic material (containing fibres and resin) using the concentric cylinders model (CCIVI). A second volumetric averaging which took into account the volume fraction of each constituent (warp yarn, weft yarn and resin), was performed. The model was validated favorably against experimental available data. A parametric study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of various geometrical and mechanical parameters on the elastic properties of these composites. ln the structural analysis, a 3D Timoshenko airbeam with a homogeneous orthotropic woven fabric (OWF) was addressed. The model took into account the geometrical nonlinearities and the inflation pressure follower force effect. The analytical equilibrium equations were performed using the total Lagrangian form of the virtual work principle. As these equations were nonlinear, in a first approach, a linearization was performed at the prestressed reference configuration to obtain the equations devoted to linearized problems. As example, the bending problem was investigated. Four cases of boundary conditions were treated and the deflections and rotations results improved the existing models in the case of isotropic fabric. The wrinkling load in every case was also proposed. In a second approach, the nonlinear equilibrium equations of the 3DTimoshenko airbeam were discretized by the finite element method. Two finite element solutions were then investigated : finite element solutions for linearized problems which were obtained by the means of the linearization around the prestressed reference configuration of the nonlinear equations and nonlinear finite element solutions which were performed by the use of an optimization algorithm based on the Qua.si-Newton method. As an example, the bending problem of a cantilever inflated beam under concentrated load was considered and the deflection results improve the theoretical models. As these beams are made from fabric, the beam models were validated through their comparison with a 3D thin-shell finite element model. The influence of the material effective properties and the inflation pressure on the beam response was also investigated through a parametric study. The finite element solutions for linearized problems were found to be close to the theoretical linearized results. On the other hand, the results for the nonlinear finite element model were shown to be close to the results for the linearized finite element model in the case of high mechanical properties and the non linear finite element model was used to improve the linearized model when the mechanical properties of the fabric are low