Gust response: Simulation of an aeroelastic experiment by a fluid–structure interaction method

In this paper fluid–structure interaction simulations regarding a gust generator experiment are presented, which has been conducted in 2010 in the Transonic Wind Tunnel in Göttingen (DNW-TWG), Germany. The main objective of the experiment was the investigation of the dynamic response problem of an elastic wing model concerning an encountering generic gust induced by a gust generator. Fluid–structure simulations, using a finite element structural model and a computational fluid dynamics model based on time-accurate, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, are compared to the experiment to validate the numerical methodology. Comparisons include steady and unsteady deflections of the elastic wing and pressure distributions. Finally, the results of simulated transfer functions of the gust generator to the elastic wing are presented in comparison to the test data.