Nonlinear aeroelastic suppression in a supersonic panel with a tunable non-smooth nonlinear oscillator

A tunable non-smooth nonlinear oscillator (NSNO), comprising a cantilever-beam resonator integrated with dual limiters, has been developed and implemented on a three-dimensional supersonic panel structure to achieve effective flutter suppression and aeroelastic response mitigation. The nonlinear characteristics of the NSNO with piecewise-linear stiffness properties have been analytically investigated through Harmonic Linearization methodology incorporating the Kelvin-Voigt impact model, with experimental validation. The governing equations for nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of the supersonic panel-NSNO coupled system have been formulated using Hamilton's principle and supersonic piston aerodynamic theory, employing the Rayleigh-Ritz approximation approach. Linear flutter analysis demonstrates that the NSNO configuration fundamentally alters the flutter coupling mechanism of the baseline aeroelastic system, resulting in a 33.3 % enhancement of the flutter boundary. Subsequent nonlinear aeroelastic analysis reveals substantial vibration suppression capabilities, with comparative bifurcation analysis indicating up to 92.56 % amplitude reduction across the entire post-flutter regime. Comprehensive parametric studies have identified nonlinear stiffness and collision damping as critical parameters governing suppression performance. An optimized NSNO parameter configuration is established, indicating superior aeroelastic vibration attenuation characteristics. This study demonstrates that NSNO-based structural configuration represents a novel and effective methodology for significant enhancement of aeroelastic stability and nonlinear flutter suppression performance.