Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Aerospace Science and Technology, cilt.178, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
In this paper, the authors present a detailed investigation into the nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of flexible wings exposed to supersonic aerodynamic flow using a shear-locking-free polygonal finite element method (PFEM). The wing panels were modeled as highly flexible structures that mimic the morphology of dragonfly wings; thus, the wing panels were developed using formulated weak forms of the governing equations of motion of a beam-type structure. The PFEM framework implements shear-locking-free mass and stiffness matrices and uses polygonal elements with Wachspress and piecewise-linear shape functions. The use of these types of shapes allows for more accurate representation of the in-plane and out-of-plane deformations for a complex geometry compared with traditional finite element methods. Aerodynamic loading on the wing panels is modeled using flutter analysis based upon piston theory, using piston theories of order 1 through 3 to account for the different distributions of pressure on each side of the wing panel subjected to supersonic airflow from one side. The resulting nonlinear flutter equations are solved using robust time integration methods to provide accurate predictions of flutter onset and post-flutter behavior. Experimental data from previous literature confirm that PFEM predictions are very accurate, providing a strong correlation between flutter speeds and mode shapes. PFEM is also compared to the standard finite element modelling techniques of both four-node and eight-node element types, across numerous mesh densities, with a clear superiority in computational efficiency, accuracy, and minimal potential for shear-locking behavior. This research provides an extensive understanding of how flexible wings respond aerodynamically to the forces of high speeds through the means of coupled nonlinear structural-aerodynamic response and provides evidence for the suitability and versatility of PFEM as an accurate and effective tool for analysis of lightweight and morphologically inspired structures associated with aerodynamics and aerospace applications. In this sense, a robust computational strategy for the design and optimization of future flexible wing configurations (next-generation supersonic/high-performance wing designs) has been established.