Nonlinear Thermal Flutter Analysis of Supersonic Composite Laminated Panels Using Differential Quadrature Method

In this paper, the differential quadrature method (DQM) was extended to deal with the nonlinear thermal flutter problem of supersonic composite laminated panel. Based on Hamilton's principle, the nonlinear thermal flutter model of composite panels was first established. The model adopted the von Karman large deflection plate theory for the geometrical nonlinearity, and the third order piston theory for the supersonic aerodynamic loads. Convergence and accuracy studies were carried out to verify the proposed approach. Finally, the nonlinear thermal flutter characteristics of a supersonic composite panel were studied. Uniform temperatures were first applied to the model in order to determine general heating effects on the stability of the composite panel. Owing to the varying structural stiffness of composite panels when subjected to thermal stresses, the thermal load reduced the frequency of composite panel, as well as the frequency interval between the first frequency and the second frequency; thereby hastening the flutter of composite panel. The nonlinear thermal flutter velocity ratio was decreased with respect to increasing temperature load for all aspect ratios. However, the influence of thermal loadings on flutter with various cross angles was different. Cases of unequal temperatures were considered. The average temperature load was kept constant which differs from the temperature gradient form of loading. The results show that the nonlinear thermal frequencies are affected in the presence of different temperature distributions. The changes in the temperature distribution have a slightly greater effect than changes in the average temperature. These effects due to temperature distribution changes do not have a substantial effect on the flutter dynamic pressure.