Active vibration suppression method for variable-section vertical tail of wind tunnel model

Stealth fighters and high-altitude high-speed aircraft predominantly utilize an outward-inclined dual vertical tail configuration. During wind tunnel tests, turbulent flow fields induce fluid-structure interaction (FSI) resonance at the vertical tail, severely compromising the accuracy of aerodynamic measurements. While piezoelectric-based active vibration control methods have achieved effective suppression of vertical tail buffeting, the existing vibration suppression system faces challenges in adapting to variable-section vertical tails during wind tunnel tests. To address this limitation, this study proposes a flow-induced vibration suppression method for the vertical tails of aircraft wind tunnel models. First, FSI simulations were conducted. Second, to resolve challenges posed by the geometric complexity and variable thickness of the vertical tail surface, a " Controlling Modal Identification, Strain Energy Analysis, and Vibration Direction Identification (CMI-SEA-VDI)" Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) actuator layout design methodology was developed. Finally, a closed-loop vibration control strategy was implemented and experimentally validated. Results demonstrate a 75.7% reduction in settling time under hammer impact tests and a 3.1-fold increase in the equivalent damping ratio in the frequency domain, confirming the efficacy of the proposed method.