Free Vibration Analysis of Tapered Composite Aircraft Wing via the Finite Element Method

Abstract

The responses of the structures used in engineering applications under the effects of static and dynamic forces are significant in the design phase. Determination of the response of dynamic forces for a structure is initially performed by the evaluation of free vibration characteristics that are mode shape of the structure and vibration frequencies. This paper presents modal analyses of tapered aircraft wing structures that consist of NACA4415 design and different common materials used in the aviation industry. Furthermore, the effect of winglets on natural frequencies is examined. The main wing structures as ribs and shells are drawn using CATIA and imported to ANSYS Workbench. Analyses have been carried out considering the aircraft wing as a three-dimensional cantilever beam by fixing one end (root chord) of the aircraft wing while the other end (tip chord) is free. The first ten modes of free vibration with their respective natural frequencies and mode shapes of the wing structures of the aircrafts are obtained. The results show that the winglets decrease the natural frequency noticeably and the shell material as Carbon Epoxy UD has been observed to have higher natural frequency compared with Kevlar Epoxy.