Scientific Research Program for Power, Energy, and Thermal Technologies. Task Order 0002: Power, Thermal and Control Technologies and Processes Experimental Research. Subtask: Laboratory Test Set-up to Evaluate Electromechanical Actuation Systems for Aircraft Flight Control
Abstract
A laboratory apparatus and data acquisition (DAQ) system were constructed for evaluating aircraft flight control actuators under simulated mission profiles. An MTS Systems Corporation hydraulic load frame was used to simulate a control surface's aero load. A National Instruments Corporation (NI)-based DAQ system was used to record the motor controller's DC bus voltage at a high rate, actuator's position, load, and temperatures. The DC bus root mean square (RMS) voltage, current, and power, and regenerative power were recorded by a Newton's 4th power analyzer. Key performance characteristics tests such as frequency response, step response, reversal, backlash, and holding with a Danahar EC5 actuator were carried out to verify this laboratory setup. The continuous frequency sweeping test revealed that the electromechanical actuator (EMA) reached the speed limit first, then the current limit, and finally the temperature limit. When the actuator's electronics reached the thermal limit, the actuator controller drastically reduced its power. This caused drastic magnitude attenuation and phase lagging. Continuous frequency sweeping proved to be a useful test to evaluate the EMA's characteristics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA624195
Entities
People
- Street A. Barnett
Organizations
- University of Dayton