Kalman filter design and flutter suppression control for an aeroelastic fin system

In aviation, flutter is a dangerous aeroelastic phenomenon resulting from uncontrolled, increasing vibration of structural parts such as wings or tails at high speeds due to aerodynamic forces, leading to a breakdown of structural integrity. This resonance-like condition is caused by the combination of the wing's bending and torsional modes. Uncontrolled flutter can quickly lead to structural damage in the wing and loss of function in the control surfaces. This can completely compromise flight safety. Therefore, flutter is one of the most important issues in international aircraft certification standards. In this research, an observer-based LQR control system was designed for active flutter suppression on a nonlinear two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) aeroelastic wing model. Unmeasurable speed conditions were predicted in real-time using a Kalman filter, and a full state feedback control structure was obtained solely from sensor outputs. By examining different Kalman filter settings, the effects of measurement noise covariance on estimation accuracy and dynamic response speed were revealed. All modeling and simulation studies were performed using MATLAB/Simulink software.