Quasi-steady techniques are used in a preliminary, order of magnitude, analysis of the aeroelastic stability of a number of space shuttle boost configurations. The configurations analyzed all have at least one low frequency free-free bending mode that is aerodynamically undamped due to aerodynamic interference effects. Typically, the aerodynamic interference effects involve flow conditions at one vehicle station influencing the loads at another. Due to the finite flow convection velocity and the aerodynamic coupling of flow conditions at different locations on the vehicle, these interference loads result in aerodynamic undamping of one or more of the low frequency free-free elastic modes. The implication of these results, i.e., the possibility of undamped, divergent, oscillations leading to structural failure, (if the aerodynamic undamping should dominate the structural damping) is serious enough to warrant further analytic and experimental investigations.


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    Title :

    Unsteady aerodynamics could dominate the space shuttle booster aeroelastic stability


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference ; 1974 ; Las Vegas, NV, US


    Publication date :

    1974-04-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :