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At least 379 records · Page 21

Development of a sensitivity analysis technique for multiloop flight control systems

This report presents the development and application of a sensitivity analysis technique for multiloop flight control systems. This analysis yields very useful information on the sensitivity of the relative-stability criteria of the control system, with variations or uncertainties in the system and controller elements. The sensitivity analysis technique developed is based on the computation of the singular values and singular-value gradients of a feedback-control system. The method is applicable to single-input/single-output as well as multiloop continuous-control systems. Application to sampled-data systems is also explored. The sensitivity analysis technique was applied to a continuous yaw/roll damper stability augmentation system of a typical business jet, and the results show that the analysis is very useful in determining the system elements which have the largest effect on the relative stability of the closed-loop system. As a secondary product of the research reported here, the relative stability criteria based on the concept of singular values were explored.

Vaillard, A. H.↗

Airstart performance of a digital electronic engine control system on an F100 engine

The digital electronic engine control (DEEC) system installed on an F100 engine in an F-15 aircraft was tested. The DEEC system incorporates a closed-loop air start feature in which the fuel flow is modulated to achieve the desired rate of compressor acceleration. With this logic the DEEC equipped F100 engine can achieve air starts over a larger envelope. The DEEC air start logic, the test program conducted on the F-15, and its results are described.

Burcham, F. W., Jr.↗

Investigation of a nozzle instability on an F100 engine equipped with a digital electronic engine control

An instability in the nozzle of the F100 engine, equipped with a digital electronic engine control (DEEC), was observed during a flight evaluation on an F-15 aircraft. The instability occurred in the upper left hand corner (ULMC) of the flight envelope during augmentation. The instability was not predicted by stability analysis, closed-loop simulations of the the engine, or altitude testing of the engine. The instability caused stalls and augmentor blowouts. The nozzle instability and the altitude testing are described. Linear analysis and nonlinear digital simulation test results are presented. Software modifications on further flight test are discussed.

Burcham, F. W., Jr.↗

Analog simulation of flux-summing servo-model, phases 1 and 2

The analog simulation was developed for a closed-loop system having an electrohydraulic flux-summing servo valve and actuator with associated inertial load. One-fourth of the system's total forward gain is carried by each of four channels. The present study successfully applied failure mode management techniques to the problem of channel failure. Digital logic circuitry was developed to maintain the overall forward gain of the system at a constant value, in the presence of channel failure. Finally, the stability of the system was verified, and performance characteristics were determined through the use of frequency response methods.

Hriber, E. J.↗

Optimal cooperative control synthesis of active displays

A technique is developed that is intended to provide a systematic approach to synthesizing display augmentation for optimal manual control in complex, closed-loop tasks. A cooperative control synthesis technique, previously developed to design pilot-optimal control augmentation for the plant, is extended to incorporate the simultaneous design of performance enhancing displays. The technique utilizes an optimal control model of the man in the loop. It is applied to the design of a quickening control law for a display and a simple K/s(2) plant, and then to an F-15 type aircraft in a multi-channel task. Utilizing the closed loop modeling and analysis procedures, the results from the display design algorithm are evaluated and an analytical validation is performed. Experimental validation is recommended for future efforts.

Garg, S.↗

Analysis of potential helicopter vibration reduction concepts

Several recent helicopter vibration reduction research programs are described. Results of studies of blade design parameters in rotor vibratory response and of an advanced blade design for reduced vibration are examined. An optimization approach to develop a general automated procedure for rotor blade design is described, and analytical results for an articulated rotor operating at a steady 160 kt flight condition are reported. The use of a self-adaptive controller to implement higher harmonic control in closed-loop fashion is addressed, and a computer simulation used to evaluate and compare the performance of alternative algorithms included in the generic active controller is discussed. Results are presented for steady level flight conditions, short-duration maneuvers, blade stresses and rotor performance, blade-appended aeroelastic devices, vibratory airloads, wake-induced blade airloads, and airloads from blade motions, the interaction of rotor and fuselage, and the interaction of rotor and empennage.

Landgrebe, A. J.↗

Inertially referenced instrument pointing platform with momentum compensated articulation

The characteristics of the Mariner Mark II Integrated Platform Pointing and Attitude Control System (IPPACS) microstep actuator with momentum compensation and the IPPACS optical reference tracker are examined, and the advantages of this new technology are identified. The momentum-compensated articulation acts to prevent platform articulation activity from disturbing the spacecaft. This guarantees dynamic stability, ensures a quiescent pointing environment, and decouples the design of the platform from the design of the spacecraft. A microstep actuator with harmonic drive provides platform angular step resolution to 0.5 arcsec for precision pointing of instruments. An optical reference tracker boresighted with scientific instruments guarantees accurate target-referenced closed-loop pointing. An IPPACS star and target tracker with 1 to 10 arcsec accuracy and wide 11 x 17 degrees field of view has been derived from Advanced Star and Target Reference Optical Sensor (ASTROS) CCD star tracker technology, greatly enhancing the optical referencing capabilities of future multimission interplanetary spacecraft.

Bell, C. E.↗

Control of large flexible systems via eigenvalue relocation

For the vibration control of large flexible systems, a control scheme by which the eigenvalues of the closed-loop systems are assigned to predetermined locations within the feasible region through velocity-only feedback is presented. Owing to the properties of second-order lambda-matrices and an efficient model decoupling technique, the control scheme makes it possible that selected modes are damped with the rest of the modes unchanged.

Denman, E. D.↗

Development status of regenerable solid amine CO2 control systems

The development history of solid amine/water desorbed (SAWD) CO2 control systems is reviewed. The design of the preprototype SAWD I CO2 system on the basis of a three-man metabolic load at the 3.8 mm Hg ambient CO2 level, and the functions of the CO2 removal, CO2 storage/delivery, controller, and life test laboratory support packages are described. The development of a full-scale multiple canister SAWD II preprototype system, which is capable of conducting the CO2 removal/concentration function in a closed-loop atmosphere revitalization system during zero-gravity operation, is examined. The operation of the SAWD II system, including the absorption and desorption cycles, is analyzed. A reduction in the thermal mass of the canister and the system's energy transfer technique result in efficient energy use. The polyether foam, nylon felt, nickel foam, spring retained, and metal bellows bed tests performed to determine the design of the zero-gravity canister are studied; metal bellows are selected for the canister's configuration.

Colling, A. K., Jr.↗

High-speed, automatic controller design considerations for integrating array processor, multi-microprocessor, and host computer system architectures

Modern control systems must typically perform real-time identification and control, as well as coordinate a host of other activities related to user interaction, online graphics, and file management. This paper discusses five global design considerations which are useful to integrate array processor, multimicroprocessor, and host computer system architectures into versatile, high-speed controllers. Such controllers are capable of very high control throughput, and can maintain constant interaction with the nonreal-time or user environment. As an application example, the architecture of a high-speed, closed-loop controller used to actively control helicopter vibration is briefly discussed. Although this system has been designed for use as the controller for real-time rotorcraft dynamics and control studies in a wind tunnel environment, the controller architecture can generally be applied to a wide range of automatic control applications.

Jacklin, S. A.↗

Multivariable control systems with saturating actuators antireset windup strategies

This paper contains preliminary, yet promising, results for introducing antirest windup (ARW) properties in multivariable feedback control systems with multiple saturating actuator nonlinearities and integrating action. The ARW method introduces simple nonlinear feedback around the integrators. The multiloop circle criterion is used to derive sufficient conditions for closed-loop stability that employ frequency-domain singular value tests. The improvement in transient response due to the ARW feedback is demonstrated using a 2-input 2-output control system based upon the F-404 jet engine dynamcis.

Kapasouris, P.↗

Tracking and disturbance rejection of MIMO nonlinear systems with PI controller

The tracking and disturbance rejection of a class of MIMO nonlinear systems with a linear proportional plus integral (PI) compensator is studied. Roughly speaking, it is shown that if the given nonlinear plant is exponentially stable and has a strictly increasing dc steady-state I/O map, then a simple PI compensator can be used to yield a stable unity-feedback closed-loop system which asymptotically tracks reference inputs that tend to constant vectors and asymptotically rejects disturbances that tend to constant vectors.

Desoer, C. A.↗

Assessment of simulation fidelity using measurements of piloting technique in flight. II

Two components of the Vertical Motion Simulator (presently being used to assess the fidelity of UH-60A simulation) are evaluated: (1) the dash/quickstop Nap-of-the-earth (NOE) piloting task, and (2) the bop-up task. Data from these two flight test experiments are presented which provide information on the effect of reduced visual field of view, variation in scene content and texture, and the affect of pure time delay in the closed-loop pilot response. In comparison with task performance results obtained in flight tests, the results from the simulation indicate that the pilot's NOE task performance in the simulator is significantly degraded.

Ferguson, S. W.↗

Design of failure-accommodating multi-loop LQG regulators

This paper investigates the stability of multiloop LQ regulators when various combinations of actuator failures occur. It is proved that the closed-loop stability can be maintained under certain conditions by inserting appropriate constant gains in the control loops. The results are also applicable (via duality) to the design of state estimators which maintain stability in face of sensor failures.

Joshi, S. M.↗

Stable direct adaptive control of linear infinite-dimensional systems using a command generator tracker approach

The topics are presented in view graph form and include the following: an adaptive model following control; adaptive control of a distributed parameter system (DPS) with a finite-dimensional controller; a direct adaptive controller; a closed-loop adaptively controlled DPS; Lyapunov stability; the asymptotic stability of the closed loop; and model control of a simply supported beam.

Balas, Mark↗

Flight Simulator Visual-Display Delay Compensation

A piloted aircraft can be viewed as a closed-loop man-machine control system. When a simulator pilot is performing a precision maneuver, a delay in the visual display of aircraft response to pilot-control input decreases the stability of the pilot-aircraft system. The less stable system is more difficult to control precisely. Pilot dynamic response and performance change as the pilot attempts to compensate for the decrease in system stability. The changes in pilot dynamic response and performance bias the simulation results by influencing the pilot's rating of the handling qualities of the simulated aircraft. The study reported here evaluated an approach to visual-display delay compensation. The objective of the compensation was to minimize delay-induced change in pilot performance and workload, The compensation was effective. Because the compensation design approach is based on well-established control-system design principles, prospects are favorable for successful application of the approach in other simulations.

Crane, D. Francis↗

Analytical Evaluation of a Method of Midcourse Guidance for Rendezvous with Earth Satellites

A digital-computer simulation was made of the midcourse or ascent phase of a rendezvous between a ferry vehicle and a space station. The simulation involved a closed-loop guidance system in which both the relative position and relative velocity between ferry and station are measured (by simulated radar) and the relative-velocity corrections required to null the miss distance are computed and applied. The results are used to study the effectiveness of a particular set of guidance equations and to study the effects of errors in the launch conditions and errors in the navigation data. A number of trajectories were investigated over a variety of initial conditions for cases in which the space station was in a circular orbit and also in an elliptic orbit. Trajectories are described in terms of a rotating coordinate system fixed in the station. As a result of this study the following conclusions are drawn. Successful rendezvous can be achieved even with launch conditions which are substantially less accurate than those obtained with present-day techniques. The average total-velocity correction required during the midcourse phase is directly proportional to the radar accuracy but the miss distance is not. Errors in the time of booster burnout or in the position of the ferry at booster burnout are less important than errors in the ferry velocity at booster burnout. The use of dead bands to account for errors in the navigational (radar) equipment appears to depend upon a compromise between the magnitude of the velocity corrections to be made and the allowable miss distance at the termination of the midcourse phase of the rendezvous. When approximate guidance equations are used, there are limits on their accuracy which are dependent on the angular distance about the earth to the expected point of rendezvous.

Eggleston, John M.↗

Study of an Active Control System for a Spinning Body

The mission requirements for some satellites require that they spin continuously and at the same time maintain a precise direction of the spin axis. An analog-computer study has been made of an attitude control system which is suitable for such a satellite. The control system provides the necessary attitude control through the use of a spinning wheel, which will provide precession torques, commanded by an automatic closed-loop servomechanism system. The sensors used in the control loop are rate gyroscopes for damping of any wobble motion and a sun seeker for attitude control. The results of the study show that the controller can eliminate the wobble motion of the satellite resulting from a rectangular pulse moment disturbance and then return the spin axis to the reference space axis. The motion is damped to half amplitude in less than one cycle of the wobble motion. The controller can also reduce the motion resulting from a step change in product of inertia both by causing the new principal axis to be steadily alined with the spin vector and by reducing the cone angle generated by the reference body axis. These methods will reduce the motion whether the satellite is a disk, sphere, or rod configuration.

Adams, J. J.↗