Enhancing flutter stability in nanocomposite thin panels by harnessing CNT/polymer dissipation

Numerical and analytical investigations into the aeroelastic response of thin nanocomposite panels are discussed. The mechanical data of the nanocomposite plates with different weight fractions of randomly oriented carbon nanotubes (CNT) are obtained via an extensive experimental campaign based on dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Panel flutter induced by high supersonic flows is studied through both linear and nonlinear dynamic analyses aimed to investigate the effect of the CNT weight fraction onto the flutter and post-flutter condition. To this end, multiple scales perturbation analysis is carried out to characterize the flutter boundaries and the type of Hopf bifurcation at flutter. It is shown that a few percent CNT weight fraction, while entailing negligible weight penalty, can considerably increase the flutter speed as well as reduce the limit cycle oscillations amplitude