Aeroelasticity

Aeroelasticity is the branch of physics and engineering that studies the interactions between the inertial, elastic, and aerodynamic forces that occur when an elastic body is exposed to a fluid flow. Although historical studies have been focused on aeronautical applications, recent research has found applications in fields such as energy harvesting and understanding snoring. The study of aeroelasticity may be broadly classified into two fields: static aeroelasticity, which deals with the static or steady response of an elastic body to a fluid flow; and dynamic aeroelasticity, which deals with the body’s dynamic (typically vibrational) response. Aeroelasticity draws on the study of fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, structural dynamics and dynamical systems. The synthesis of aeroelasticity with thermodynamics is known as aerothermoelasticity, and its synthesis with control theory is known as aeroservoelasticity.

The 2nd failure of Samuel Langley's prototype plane on the Potomac has been attributed to aeroelastic effects (specifically, torsional divergence). Problems with torsional divergence plagued aircraft in the First World War, and were solved largely by trial-and-error and ad-hoc stiffening of the wing. In 1926, Hans Reissner published a theory of wing divergence, leading to much further theoretical research on the subject.

In the development of aeronautical engineering at Caltech, Theodore von Kármán started a course "Elasticity applied to Aeronautics". After teaching for one term he passed it over to Ernest Edwin Sechler, who went on to develop aeroelasticity in that course and in publication of textbooks on the subject.

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