Structural damping models for passive aeroelastic control

Aeroelastic qualification requirements are typically met by sizing aircraft to achieve adequate stability margins and keep peak gust responses below specified thresholds. A possible alternative approach is delaying flutter and alleviating gust response by embedding dissipative materials in structural components. This approach requires accurate damping models applicable to analyze complex configurations. This paper compares three damping models suitable for finite element aeroelastic analysis: the viscous model, the hysteretic model, and a generalized Biot model previously proposed by the authors. The damping models are applied to the flutter suppression and gust load alleviation of a practical aeroelastic testbed using dissipative skin patches. Results obtained using different damping models are compared to provide modeling recommendations for passive flutter suppression and gust alleviation studies.