The Institute of Aeroelasticity at the German Aerospace Center uses large numbers of accelerometers from Kistler for vibration tests and modal analyses, both on the ground and in the air. For example: the vibration behavior of ISTAR, the new research aircraft, was accurately imaged with the help of various technologies and advanced piezoelectric sensors.
Streamlined sports cars and coupés have given the general public some awareness of the important part played by aerodynamics in vehicle and aircraft design. But this is not so much the case with aeroelastics, the branch of science that investigates the vibration behavior of aircraft and other vehicles. There is even an institute dedicated to this discipline at the German Aerospace Center (DLR): the Institute of Aeroelasticity in Göttingen, which has a team of around 80 employees. They perform tasks such as structural dynamic testing of aircraft, helicopters, wind turbines and turbo engines so their vibration characteristics can be analyzed in detail.
The Institute carries out wind tunnel tests that investigate the coupling of airflow and structural vibrations (known as flutter behavior), and also simulations to predict aeroelastic behavior as accurately as possible (these even include the digital twin). But the main focus is on ground vibration tests (GVT). These meticulously planned tests use vibration exciters to cause artificial vibrations at various points on the prototype of a new aircraft (wings, tail unit, fuselage, etc.). They are recorded by accelerometers to determine the forms of the structural vibration – known as modes.