Civil Air Transport: A Fresh Look at Power-by-Wire and Fly-by-Light

Abstract

Power-by-wire (PBH) Is a key element under subsonic transport flight systems technology with potential savings of over 10 percent In gross take off weight and In fuel consumption compared to today's transport aircraft. The PBH technology substitutes electrical actuation In place of centralized hydraulics, uses Internal starter-motor/generators and eliminates the need for variable engine bleed air to supply cabin comfort. The application of advanced fiber optics to the electrical power system controls, to built-In-test (BITE) equipment, and to fly-by-light (FBL) flight controls provides additional benefits In lightning and high energy radio frequency (HERF) Immunity over existing mechanical or even fly-by-wire controls. This paper will review the program plan and give a snapshot of the key technologies and their benefits to all future aircraft- civil and military.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA578287

Entities

People

  • Gale R. Sundberg

Organizations

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Aircrafts
  • Control Systems
  • Detectors
  • Digital Data
  • Electric Motors
  • Electronics
  • Energy
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Flight Control Systems
  • Frequency
  • Hydraulic Actuators
  • Military Aircraft
  • Motors
  • Optical Detectors
  • Radio Frequency
  • Transport Aircraft

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design