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At least 127 records · Page 7

Recent advances in aerodynamic energy concept for flutter suppression and gust alleviation using active controls

Control laws are derived, by using realizable transfer functions, which permit relaxation of the stability requirements of the aerodynamic energy concept. The resulting aerodynamic eigenvalues indicate that both the trailing edge and the leading edge-trailing edge control systems can be made more effective. These control laws permit the introduction of aerodynamic damping and stiffness terms in accordance with the requirements of any specific system. Flutter suppression and gust alleviation problems can now be treated by either a trailing edge control system or by a leading edge-trailing edge control system by using the aerodynamic energy concept. Results are applicable to a wide class of aircraft operating at subsonic Mach numbers.

Nissim, E.↗

A direct method for synthesizing low-order optimal feedback control laws with application to flutter suppression

A direct method of synthesizing a low-order optimal feedback control law for a high order system is presented. A nonlinear programming algorithm is employed to search for the control law design variables that minimize a performance index defined by a weighted sum of mean square steady state responses and control inputs. The controller is shown to be equivalent to a partial state estimator. The method is applied to the problem of active flutter suppression. Numerical results are presented for a 20th order system representing an aeroelastic wind-tunnel wing model. Low-order controllers (fourth and sixth order) are compared with a full order (20th order) optimal controller and found to provide near optimal performance with adequate stability margins.

Mukhopadhyay, V.↗

Active Flutter Suppression Using Reduced-Order Modeling for Transonic Aeroservoelastic Control Law Development

In this paper, several aerodynamic reduced-order models (ROMs) are generated and coupled with structural models to form aeroelastic ROMs. The aerodynamic ROMs generated here include the effects of control surface motion and are appropriate for use in aeroservoelastic applications. Simple observer-based full-state feedback controllers were designed from these aeroelastic ROMs. Additionally, observer gain matrices were designed from and coupled to the aeroelastic ROMs. Each (linear) observer was then used to estimate the dynamics of a (nonlinear) stand-alone computational fluid-structure dynamics simulation. Then, using the estimated states and the full-state feedback controller, control surface commands were fed back into the computational fluid-structure dynamics simulation to successfully achieve active flutter suppression. The process, as well as some results, are presented in this paper.

Waite, Josiah M.↗

An Analysis of the Optimal Control Modification Method Applied to Flutter Suppression

Unlike basic Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC)l, Optimal Control Modification (OCM) has been shown to be a promising MRAC modification with robustness and analytical properties not present in other adaptive control methods. This paper presents an analysis of the OCM method, and how the asymptotic property of OCM is useful for analyzing and tuning the controller. We begin with a Lyapunov stability proof of an OCM controller having two adaptive gain terms, then the less conservative and easily analyzed OCM asymptotic property is presented. Two numerical examples are used to show how this property can accurately predict steady state stability and quantitative robustness in the presence of time delay, and relative to linear plant perturbations, and nominal Loop Transfer Recovery (LTR) tuning. The asymptotic property of the OCM controller is then used as an aid in tuning the controller applied to a large scale aeroservoelastic longitudinal aircraft model for flutter suppression. Control with OCM adaptive augmentation is shown to improve performance over that of the nominal non-adaptive controller when significant disparities exist between the controller/observer model and the true plant model.

aeroservoelasti↗

Recent developments in flutter suppression techniques for turbomachinery rotors

Recent research on passive flutter control techniques for rotors and cascades is reviewed. The proposed methods include the use of periodicity-breaking inperfections, aeroelastic tailoring, dry friction damping, and mode shape control. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of each method in controlling various types of flutter, and to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating the techniques in current and future technology rotors. Mistuning may be the only feasible approach for existing engines, but aeroelastic tailoring offers promising advantages for future engines.

Bendiksen, O. O.↗

Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models Part 1: A Sidewall Supported Semispan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation and Flutter Suppression

of a two part document. Part 2 is titled: "Aeroservoelastic Testing of Free Flying Wind Tunnel Models, Part 2: A Centerline Supported Fullspan Model Tested for Gust Load Alleviation." A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three aeroservoelastic wind tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, flexible vehicles. In the first of these three tests, a semispan, aeroelastically scaled, wind tunnel model of a flying wing SensorCraft vehicle was mounted to a force balance to demonstrate gust load alleviation. In the second and third tests, the same wing was mated to a new, multi-degree of freedom, sidewall mount. This mount allowed the half-span model to translate vertically and pitch at the wing root, allowing better simulation of the full span vehicle's rigid body modes. Gust load alleviation (GLA) and Body freedom flutter (BFF) suppression were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees-of-freedom required that the model be flown in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort.

Scott, Robert C.↗

Active flutter suppression using invariant zeros/eigensystem assignment

An active control law is synthesized to raise the flutter dynamic pressure boundary of an active flexible wing wind tunnel model. The multi-input/multi-output controller has a two-degree-of-freedom structure consisting of: (1) an output dynamic compensator selected to assign system invariant zeros to shape the multivariable root loci, and (2) an output gain feedback controller, based on eigensystem assignment theory, using the compensator augmented system to stabilize the flutter mode and optimize a specified performance index. Evaluation of a digital implementation of a constant gain controller in a general batch simulation of the system reveals that the feedback system is stable over a dynamic pressure range of 50-400 psf, indicating robustness of design to dynamic pressure variations.

Srinathkumar, S.↗

Active controls for flutter suppression and gust alleviation in supersonic aircraft

Results of work done on active controls on the modified YF-17 flutter model are summarized. The basic derivation of a suitable control law is discussed. It is shown that discrepencies found between analysis and wind tunnel tests originate from the lack of proper implementation of the desired control law. Program capabilities are described.

Nissim, E.↗

Application of modal control to wing-flutter suppression

A discrete modal control design approach that is applied to a single control surface, unswept aircraft wing subject to bending torsion flutter is described. The modal approach is a mathematical method to decouple the equations of motion into isolated differential equations. In this paper, a pole-placement approach is then applied to determine stability gains in the discrete plane using only the two complex-conjugate flutter-mode equations. A fixed gain Kalman filter is used to estimate the model amplitudes using three measurements. Results are presented for a full-state estimator (36 states) and two reduced state estimators using two different closed-loop pole locations. The control law is designed for a dynamic pressure that is 50 percent greater than the uncontrolled-flutter dynamic pressure. With constant control-law gains, the closed-loop system remains stable over the dynamic-pressure range from flutter onset to approximately an 80-percent increase in pressure.

Ostroff, A. J.↗

Robust Kalman filter design for active flutter suppression systems

Additional insight is provided into the use of the Doyle-Stein (1979, 1981) technique in aeroelastic control problems by examining the application of the method to a flutter control problem. The system to be controlled consists of a full-size wind tunnel model of a wing, plus an aileron, an actuator, and an accelerometer used to sense the motion of the wing. A full-state feedback controller was designed using linear optimal control theory, and a Kalman filter was used in the feedback loop for state estimation. The filter design procedure is explained along with that to improve closed-loop properties of the system. The locus of the poles of the filter is examined as a scalar design parameter is varied. The Doyle-Stein design procedure is shown to substantially improve the stability properties of an active flutter controller designed using the linear quadratic Gaussian control theory.

Garrard, W. L.↗

Testing of a stall flutter suppression system for helicopter rotors using individual-blade-control

The development and testing of a feedback system designed to alleviate rotor blade first torsion mode oscillations associated with stall flutter are described. The system employs blade-mounted sensors to detect torsional oscillations and provide feedback in order to increase the damping of the first torsional mode. A model of the blade and control system dynamics is developed and is used to give qualitative and quantitative guidance in the design process, as well as to aid in the analysis of experimental results. System performance in wind tunnel tests in forward flight is described, and experimental results show that the system can provide substantial additional damping to stall-induced oscillations.

Quackenbush, T. R.↗

Testing and evaluation of a stall-flutter-suppression system for helicopter rotors using individual-blade-control

The development and testing of a feedback system designed to alleviate the violent blade first torsion mode oscillations associated with stall flutter are described. The system, based on previously developed M.I.T. Individual-Blade-Control hardware, employs blade-mounted accelerometers to sense torsional oscillations and feeds back rate informaton to increase the damping of the first torsion mode. A linear model of the blade and control system dynamics is developed and is used to give qualitative and quantitative guidance in the design process as well as to aid in analysis of experimental results. System performance in wind tunnel tests, both in hover and forward flight, is described, and evidence is given of the system's ability to provide substantial additional damping to stall-induced blade oscillations.

Quackenbush, T. R.↗

Design of control laws for flutter suppression based on the aerodynamic energy concept and comparisons with other design methods

The aerodynamic energy method is used to synthesize control laws for NASA's drone for aerodynamic and structural testing-aerodynamic research wing 1 (DAST-ARW1) mathematical model. The performance of these control laws in terms of closed-loop flutter dynamic pressure, control surface activity, and robustness is compared with other control laws that relate to the same model. A control law synthesis technique that makes use of the return difference singular values is developed. It is based on the aerodynamic energy approach and is shown to yield results that are superior to those results given in the literature and are based on optimal control theory. Nyquist plots are presented, together with a short discussion regarding the relative merits of the minimum singular value as a measure of robustness as compared with the more traditional measure involving phase and gain margins.

Nissim, Eli↗

Design of control laws for flutter suppression based on the aerodynamic energy concept and comparisons with other design methods

The aerodynamic energy method is used in this paper to synthesize control laws for NASA's Drone for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing-Aerodynamic Research Wing 1 (DAST-ARW1) mathematical model. The performance of these control laws in terms of closed-loop flutter dynamic pressure, control surface activity, and robustness is compared against other control laws that appear in the literature and relate to the same model. A control law synthesis technique that makes use of the return difference singular values is developed in this paper. it is based on the aerodynamic energy approach and is shown to yield results superior to those given in the literature and based on optimal control theory. Nyquist plots are presented together with a short discussion regarding the relative merits of the minimum singular value as a measure of robustness, compared with the more traditional measure of robustness involving phase and gain margins.

Nissim, E.↗

Modeling of aerodynamic forces in the Laplace domain with minimum number of augmented states for the design of active flutter suppression systems

A method is proposed by which an aeroservoelastic problem is brought to a state-space form with a minimum number of augmented aerodynamic terms. The examples treated in this work relate to NASA's Drone for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing-Aerodynamic Research Wing 1 (DAST-ARW1) and to the YF-17 fighter model. It is shown that in all cases considered, the method yields a very good accuracy regarding the flutter parameters and the dynamic behavior of the systems, using only two augmented aerodynamic states. The method should prove useful in the design of lower order control laws based on optimal control theory.

Nissim, E.↗

Flutter suppression using eigenspace freedoms to meet requirements

A constrained optimization methodology has been developed which allows specific use of eigensystem freedoms to meet design requirements. A subset of the available eigenvector freedoms was employed. The eigenvector freedoms associated with a particular closed-loop eigenvalue are coefficients of basis vectors which span the subspace in which that closed-loop vector must lie. Design requirements are included as a vector of inequality constraints. The procedure was successfully applied to develop an unscheduled controller which stabilizes symmetric flutter of an aeroelastic vehicle to a dynamic pressure 44 percent above the open-loop flutter point. The design process proceeded from full-state feedback to the inclusion of a full-order observer to the selection of an eighth-order controller which preserved the full-state sensitivity characteristics. Only a subset of the design freedoms was utilized (i.e., assuming full-state feedback only four out of 26 eigenvectors were used, and no variations were made in the closed-loop eigenvalues). Utilization of additional eigensystem freedoms could further improve the controller.

Adams, William M., Jr.↗

Practical gust load alleviation and flutter suppression control laws based on a LQG methodology

A modified linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) synthesis procedure has been used to design low-order robust multiloop controllers for a flexible airplane. The introduction of properly constructed fictitious Gauss-Markov processes in the control loops allowed meeting classical frequency-domain stability criteria using the direct synthesis procedures of modern time-domain control theory. Model reduction was used to simplify the control laws to the point where they could be easily implemented on onboard flight computers. These control laws provided excellent gust load and flutter mode control with good stability margins and compared very favorably to other control laws synthesized by the classical root-locus technique.

Gangsaas, D.↗