Determination of the aeroelastic transfer functions for streamlined bodies by means of a Navier–Stokes solver

This paper proposes a method to determine the flutter derivatives of two-dimensional streamlined cylinders by means of a modified indicial approach adapted to a Navier–Stokes solver using an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian formulation. The method relies on heave or pitch motion imposed onto the section according to smoothed-ramp time-histories and on the computational evaluation of the transient forces arising on the obstacle. Hence, the indicial transfer function relating the plate motion to the induced force in the frequency domain is obtained. Application to a flat plate of finite thickness and length is proposed. The steady viscous flow simulated around the motionless plate is compared with the well-known Blasius solution. The computed flutter derivatives are compared both with those obtained from the Theodorsen function in the frame of the thin airfoil theory and with those resulting from previous methods in the frame of the computational approach.