Computational aeroelastic investigation of a transonic limit-cycle-oscillation experiment at a transport aircraft wing model

Aeroelastic measurements of a three-dimensional wing model, the so-called Aerostabil wing, were conducted in the Transonic Windtunnel Göttingen. This clean, backward-swept wing allowed the experimental investigation of limit cycle oscillations in a certain transonic parameter range. In this paper, a detailed insight into the observed physical phenomena, especially the measured limit cycle oscillations, is presented by means of CFD–CSM coupled simulations. These simulations on the basis of a detailed structural finite element model reveal the specific properties of the Aerostabil wing and furthermore allow investigating the unstable behavior of this windtunnel model for transonic flow settings. The aerodynamic characteristics include a two-shock system and large flow separation areas, further increasing the complexity of the aeroelastic problem. A structural single degree-of-freedom system is used for the prediction of the experimental stability range and the limit cycle oscillation investigations. Due to the good agreement of simulation and experiment the limit cycle oscillations can be explained by means of nonlinear aerodynamic effects.