This paper summarizes the testing andsimulation activities carried out for the study ofan electro-mechanical actuator for helicopterlanding gear extension/retraction. The basicobjective of the work was to obtain anexperimentally-validated model of the actuatordynamics, to be used as support tool for thedesign enhancement as well as for thedevelopment of similar systems. The databasefor the model validation has been obtained bytesting the actuator with a specificallydeveloped real-time hardware-in-the-loopsystem, in which the actuator voltage supply isregulated by a programmable power unit, andits mechanical loading is controlled by acounteracting hydraulic servo. The test resultsin terms of actuator position, speed and motorcurrents, and related to different combinationsof voltage supply and load factors, have beenthen used to tune the parameters of a modeldeveloped by the authors. The satisfactorymatching between simulation predictions andexperimental data allowed to highlight anddiscuss specific performance issues in theactuator speed response, which can becharacterised by a limit-cycle behaviour whenthe landing gear is extended under high tensileloads.
展开▼
