DYNAMIC LIFT FORCE MEASUREMENTS ON A 2-D WING AND COMPARISONS WITH UNSTEADY AERODYNAMIC MODELS

Experiments were conducted to collect dynamic force measurements on a pitching wing using canonical motions. Aerodynamic forces were isolated from inertia based forces to facilitate Observer Kalman Identification model building. Comparisons with classical unsteady aerodynamic theories show good agreement when their assumptions are maintained, with smokewire visualization to qualitatively explain where experiments deviate from theory. A reduced order model built using OKID was compared to experimental data, and showed better agreement than classical theories. Oscillations in the lift measurements were observed in the OKID model and experimental data, and some potential sources for the oscillations were ruled out.M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, December 201