Model based test equipment design and controller tuning for elevator endurance test rig

Abstract

Servo-controlled elevator is one of the primary flight control actuators which controls pitch of the aircraft. To prove out its design, a qualification test equipment or endurance test rig is needed. Using endurance test rig, aerodynamic load is simulated by a double-Acting servo-controlled linear hydraulic cylinder to the elevator actuator. The design of the endurance test rig primarily depends on load and velocity requirements. The main aim of this work is to design the endurance test rig and tune the load controller based on simulation results and analysis. A high fidelity, non-linear mathematical model of elevator endurance test rig is developed and validated against experimental data. Critical parameters of test equipment were identified based on mathematical modeling and simulation. An appropriate load cylinder and its electro-hydraulic servo valve are chosen to meet load and velocity requirements. The rig structure stiffness has also been determined by iterative simulations. The performance and stability of the test system areas certained through dynamic analysis of the model for every flight case. Finally, a model based load controller is designed and deployed to the experimental setup with simple proportional-integral (PI) and velocity feed-forward control to meet the load control performance satisfactorily. � 2015 IEEE.