Andreas Hermanutz

Faculty Head Aerospace Engineering

Speech Title:  Aeroelastic Design of an Experimental UAV with a High-Aspect-Ratio Wing for Studying Wing Flutter.

Abstract: 

The quest for environmentally friendly aircraft pushes the boundaries of wing design, demanding both performance and cost optimization. While high aspect ratio wings offer promising fuel efficiency benefits for civil transport aircraft, their development confronts significant structural challenges arising from their inherent flexibility. To address these challenges, TUM’s research programs utilize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as demonstrators to investigate critical technologies like flutter suppression, gust load alleviation and wing stabilization. This approach minimizes the risks associated with full-scale testing, including high development costs and potential safety hazards.
As part of research initiatives exploring novel aircraft configurations, the Chair of Aircraft Design of the Technical University of Munich has developed a 9-meter wingspan UAV demonstrator with a take-off weight of 60 kg. This presentation delves into the T-Flex demonstrator, highlighting its design features and development process from concept to flight testing, including a closer look at the challenges encountered.

Short-bio:

Dr. Andreas Hermanutz is a passionate aerospace engineer with expertise in aeroelastic design, particularly for highly flexible wing structures. He earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. from the Technical University of Munich. 
Dr. Hermanutz's research at the Institute of Lightweight Structures and Aircraft Design focused on advanced simulation models for reliable structural design in UAVs and civil transport aircraft.
Since 2020, he has been Faculty Head in Aerospace Engineering at the TUM Singapore Campus, leading the MSc program and driving TUM’s research activities in the region.