Dynamic Response of a Curved Plate Subjected to a Moving Local Heat Gradient

Abstract

Structures moving faster than the speed of sound will experience localized pressure and temperature gradients due to shockwave impingement. During in-flight maneuvers, these gradients will move across the surface of the structure, causing quasi-static thermal and mechanical strains. Loading conditions in these combined environments includes complicated aero-thermal-mechanical coupling, which is difficult to replicate in laboratory conditions. This work focuses on thermo-mechanical loading of a 12 inch × 18 inch curved stainless-steel plate when subjected to a moving thermal gradient at a peak temperature of 200 °F and distributed white noise mechanical loading at 9 g’s from 100 to 800 Hz. The dynamic response of this plate is measured with high-speed 3D digital image correlation, and the temperature distribution is measured with a high-speed FLIR camera.