Experimental investigation of transonic buffeting, frequency lock-in and their dependence on structural characteristics

Transonic buffet is a phenomenon that appears in compressible flow around an airfoil and plays a substantial role in the limitation of the flight envelope of commercial aircraft. If the structural natural frequencies of the wing are similar to the buffet frequency, the oscillation of the compression shock, fluid, and structure may interact (transonic buffeting) and lead to strong loads and potential structural failure. Numerical research has shown that structural parameters can have a significant effect on the onset point of shock oscillations as well as on the typology of the fluid–structure interaction, which presented classical structural excitation, modal veering, or frequency lock-in.