On-off and proportional-integral controller for a morphing wing. Part 2: Control validation - numerical simulations and experimental tests (original) (raw)
Related papers
Design and experimental validation of a control system for a morphing wing
AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference 2012, 2012
The paper presents a smart way to actuate and to control the airfoil shape of a morphing wing. The actuation system development is based on some smart material actuators like Shape Memory Alloys, disposed in two parallel actuation lines, and its control is performed by using a fuzzy logic PD controller of Mamdani type.
Controller and Aeroelasticity Analysis for a Morphing Wing
AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, 2011
The main objectives of this research work are: the design and the wind tunnel testing of a controller for a new morphing mechanism using smart materials made of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) for the actuators, and the aero-elasticity studies for the morphing wing. The finally obtained configuration for the controller is a combination of a bi-positional controller (on-off) and a PI (proportional-integral) controller, due to the two phases (heating and cooling) of the SMA wires' interconnection. Firstly, the controller is used for the open loop development step of a morphing wing project, while, further, it is included as an internal loop in the closed loop architecture of the morphing wing system. In the controller design procedure four step are considered: 1) SMA actuators model numerical simulation for different loading force cases; 2) linear system approximation in the heating and cooling phases using Matlab's System Identification Toolbox and the numerical values obtained in the first step; 3) selecting the controller type and its tuning for each of the two SMA actuators' phasesheating and cooling; and 4) integration of the two controllers just obtained into a single controller. For the controller validation three actions are taken: 1) numerical simulation; 2) bench testing; and 3) wind tunnel testing. For the third part of this study, aeroelastic studies, the purpose is to determine the flutter conditions in order to be avoided during wind tunnel tests. These studies show that aeroelastic instabilities for the morphing configurations considered appears at Mach number 0.55, which is higher than the wind tunnel Mach number limit speed of 0.3.
Closed Loop Control Validation of a Morphing Wing using Wind Tunnel Tests
Journal of Aircraft
In this paper, a rectangular finite aspect ratio wing, having a WTEA reference airfoil cross-section, was considered. The wing upper surface was made of a flexible composite material and instrumented with Kulite pressure sensors, and two smart memory alloys actuators. Unsteady pressure signals were recorded and visualized in real time while the morphing wing was being deformed to reproduce various airfoil shapes by controlling the two actuators displacements. The controlling procedure was performed using two methods which are described in the paper. Several wind tunnel test runs were performed for various angles of attack and Reynolds numbers in the 6'×9' wind tunnel at the Institute for Aerospace Research at the National Research Council Canada (IAR/NRC). The Mach number was varied from 0.2 to 0.3, the Reynolds numbers varied between 2.29 million and 3.36 million, and the angles of attack range was within -1º to 2 o . Wind tunnel measurements are presented for airflow boundary layer transition detection using high sampling rate pressure sensors.
Control Strategies for an Experimental Morphing Wing Model
The paper presents the control strategies used in an experimental morphing wing model starting from the open loop architecture until a real time optimized closed loop architecture. Three control methods are exposed here, methods designed to obtain and maintain some optimized airfoils during the wind tunnel tests. Also, for all designed architectures the experimental control results are shown. First method uses a database stored in the computer memory, database which contains some optimized airfoils correlated with the airflow cases as combinations of Mach numbers and angles of attack. The method is based on a controller that takes as reference value the necessary displacement of the actuators from the database in order to obtain the morphing wing optimized airfoil shape. The second method uses a similar controller as the first method but the control loop is built around the changes of the Cp values calculated by XFoil software in two fixed positions along the chord of the wing, posi...
Intelligent control of a morphing wing Part 2: Validation phase
Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Applied Simulation and Modelling, ASM 2011, 2011
The paper presents the numerical and experimental validation of an intelligent controller for a new morphing mechanism using smart materials made of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) for the actuators. A brief presentation of the finally adopted controller architecture precedes its validation exposure consisting in numerical simulations, experimental bench tests, and wind tunnel tests. The Matlab/Simulink software is used to tune the controller through numerical simulation and after that to be experimentally implemented. In the physical model development, two Programmable Switching Power Supplies AMREL SPS100-33 and a Quanser Q8 data acquisition card are used. The feedback signals in the control loop are provided by two Linear Variable Differential Transformer potentiometers monitoring the actuators' positions. Also, six thermocouples allow supervising of the SMA wires temperatures. In order to obtain the desired skin deflections, the power supplies are controlled using the acquisition card outputs.
Closed-Loop Control Simulations on a Morphing Wing
Journal of Aircraft, 2008
The main objective of the project is to develop a system for the active control of wing airfoil geometry during flight to allow drag reduction. Drag reduction on a wing can be achieved by modifications in the laminar to turbulent flow transition point position, which should move toward the trailing edge of the airfoil wing. As the transition point plays a crucial part in this project, this paper focuses on the control of its position on the airfoil, as an effect of the deflection control on a morphing wing airfoil equipped with a flexible skin. The reference airfoil is the laminar WTEA-TE1 airfoil, on which a flexible skin is located; its geometry is modified by the use of a single point control, where it is assumed that one actuator acts. The Mach number, angle of attack, and deflection allow us to calculate the pressures and transition point positions at each step. The varying inputs are the deflections and the angles of attack. As they both change, the transition point position changes accordingly. A model of a shape memory alloy has been carried out in the MATLAB®/Simulink environment. Hence, the challenge is to perform the control with a shape memory alloy in the closed loop, as it has a nonlinear behavior. Several controllers, such as a proportional integral derivative controller, a proportional controller, and variables gains, are therefore necessary to control the shape memory alloy and the entire closed loop. Three simulations have been carried out to validate the control. The first simulation keeps the angle of attack constant and is performed for successive deflections. The second simulation considers different steps for the deflection but adds a sinusoidal component for the angle of attack; this simulation is closer to the cruise flight regime. During the third simulation, both the angle of attack and the deflection are modeled as a sinusoidal wave. The outputs (the deflection and the transition point position) are well controlled and the results are very good. Hence, it is concluded that this original method of control is suitable for the control of the transition point position from the laminar to turbulent region on a morphing wing airfoil.
International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics, 2010
The paper represents the second part of a study related to the development of an actuators control system for a morphing wing application, and describes the experimental validation of the control designed in the first part. After a short presentation of the finally adopted control architecture, the physical implementation of the control is done. To implement the controller on the physical model two Programmable Switching Power Supplies AMREL SPS100-33 and a Quanser Q8 data acquisition card, were used. The inputs of the data acquisition were two signals from Linear Variable Differential Transformer potentiometers, indicating the positions of the actuators, and six signals from thermocouples installed on the SMA wires. The acquisition board outputs channels were used to control power supplies in order to obtain the desired skin deflections. The control validation was made in two experimental ways: bench test and wind tunnel test. All 35 optimized airfoil cases, used in the design phase, were converted into actuators vertical displacements which were used as inputs reference for the controller. In the wind tunnel tests a comparative study was realized around of the transition point position for the reference airfoil and for each optimized airfoil.
Morphing Wing-Tip Open Loop Controller and its Validation During Wind Tunnel Tests at the IAR-NRC
INCAS BULLETIN, 2016
In this project, a wing tip of a real aircraft was designed and manufactured. This wing tip was composed of a wing and an aileron. The wing was equipped with a composite skin on its upper surface. This skin changed its shape (morphed) by use of 4 electrical in-house developed actuators and 32 pressure sensors. These pressure sensors measure the pressures, and further the loads on the wing upper surface. Thus, the upper surface of the wing was morphed using these actuators with the aim to improve the aerodynamic performances of the wing-tip. Two types of ailerons were designed and manufactured: one aileron is rigid (non-morphed) and one morphing aileron. This morphing aileron can change its shape also for the aerodynamic performances improvement. The morphing wing-tip internal structure is designed and manufactured, and is presented firstly in the paper. Then, the modern communication and control hardware are presented for the entire morphing wing tip equipped with actuators and sensors having the aim to morph the wing. The calibration procedure of the wing tip is further presented, followed by the open loop controller results obtained during wind tunnel tests. Various methodologies of open loop control are presented in this paper, and results obtained were obtained and validated experimentally through wind tunnel tests.
2010
The paper represents the second part of a study related to the development of an actuators control system for a morphing wing application, and describes the experimental validation of the control designed in the first part. After a short presentation of the finally adopted control architecture, the physical implementation of the control is done. To implement the controller on the physical model two Programmable Switching Power Supplies AMREL SPS100-33 and a Quanser Q8 data acquisition card, were used. The inputs of the data acquisition were two signals from Linear Variable Differential Transformer potentiometers, indicating the positions of the actuators, and six signals from thermocouples installed on the SMA wires. The acquisition board outputs channels were used to control power supplies in order to obtain the desired skin deflections. The control validation was made in two experimental ways: bench test and wind tunnel test. All 35 optimized airfoil cases, used in the design phase, were converted into actuators vertical displacements which were used as inputs reference for the controller. In the wind tunnel tests a comparative study was realized around of the transition point position for the reference airfoil and for each optimized airfoil.