Development and Integration of Active Load Control Functions for a High Aspect Ratio Transport Aircraft Simulation

Abstract

The recent efforts to design more environmentally friendly and thus fuel-efficient aircraft have led to wing designs with very high aspect ratios. These designs feature more flexible wings with impacts on safety critical aspects such as reduced flutter speed and higher sensitivity to gusts. To tackle these challenges passive and active functions need to be developed to reduce gust sensitivity and increase flutter speed. This in turn poses new performance requirements on control surface actuators. In the frame of the project wing integrated systems demonstration on mechatronic rig (WISDOM) a hardware in the loop demonstrator is constructed on which newly developed electro mechanical actuator (EMA) will be tested in combination with a simulated aircraft. This aircraft model includes flight dynamics, structural dynamics, and all relevant systems that are not present as hardware. In addition, all relevant control law functions are to be implemented on a separate flight control computer (FCC). This paper describes the development of the integrated real-time capable aircraft model, as well as the flight control function for active alleviation of gust loads. This controller is based on mu-synthesis and is designed to integrate well with primary control functions. To show the successful integration of the primary and secondary control functions nonlinear simulations are presented.