Development of a proof–of–concept aircraft smart control system

2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (1147) ◽  
pp. 587-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Hutapea ◽  
K. Jacobs ◽  
M. Harper ◽  
E. Meyer ◽  
B. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Flight Control ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Actuation System

Abstract Hutapea et al showed that an actuation system based on shape memory alloy coils could be employed for a wing flap of an aircraft. A continued research and development of these previously demonstrated smart flight control mechanisms was performed with the goal to develop a proof-of-concept shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation system, which utilises SMA springs to control the six degrees of freedom of an aircraft. For this actuation system, the springs are heated via an electric current, causing the spring to contract as the metal’s phase changes from martensite to austenite. The contraction allows the springs to function as linear actuators for the aircraft’s control surfaces, specifically the flaps and ailerons on the wings and horizontal stabilisers and a rudder on the tail. As a significant advancement to the overall actuation system, an air burst-cooling system increases the cooling rate of the coils by means of forced convection. Computer-based finite element model analysis and experimental testing were used to define and optimise SMA spring specifications for each individual control surface design. A onesixth scale proof-of-concept model of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee 160 aircraft was constructed to demonstrate and to verify the final actuation system design.

Development of a Proof-of-Concept Aircraft Smart Control System

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parsaoran Hutapea
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Flight Control ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Concept Model ◽  
Actuation System ◽  
Smart Control

Hutapea et al (Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: 80(4), 439–444, 2008) proposed an actuation system based on shape memory alloy springs for a wing flap of an aircraft. A continued research and development of these previously demonstrated smart flight control mechanisms was performed with the goal to develop a proof-of-concept shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation system, which utilizes SMA springs to control the six degrees of freedom of an aircraft. As a significant advancement to the overall actuation system, an air burst-cooling system was added to increase the cooling rate of the SMA springs by means of forced convection. A one-sixth scale proof-of-concept model was constructed to demonstrate and to verify the final actuation system design.

Design, Manufacturing and Test of a High Lift Secondary Flight Control Surface With SMAPBP (Shape Memory Alloy Post-Buckled Precompressed) Actuators

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sinn ◽  
Ron Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Flight Control ◽  
Nonlinear Behavior ◽  
Feedback System ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Sma Actuators ◽  
Naca0012 Airfoil ◽  
History Of

This paper discusses the design, manufacturing and test of a new kind of adaptive airfoil with Shape Memory Alloy actuation. An antagonistic arrangement of SMA wires is used in a Post-buckled Precompressed (PBP) kind of actuator that is being employed in an adaptive flap system. SMA actuators are typically used either antagonistically and/or arranged to move structural components with linearly varying resistance levels, like springs. This generally means that large percentages of strain energy are spent doing work on passive structure (rather than performing the task at hand, like moving a flight control surface or resisting air loads etc.). Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) actuators on the other hand are arranged so that the active elements do not waste energy fighting passive structural stiffnesses. Most (if not all) of the PBP actuators of the past have used piezoceramic elements and are highly prone to tensile failure on convex faces. Because SMA actuators are far more tolerant of tensile stresses than piezoceramics, a switch of actuator type is a natural progression of technology. With the Post-buckled Precompressed mechanism, the power consumption to hold deflections is reduced by one if not two orders of magnitude. Because aircraft often require flight control surfaces to be held in a given position for extremely long times to trim the vehicle, conventional SMA’s are essentially non-starters for many classes of aircraft. For the reason that PBP actuators balance out air and structural loads, the steady-state load on the SMAs is essentially negligible, when properly designed. Experiments showed that the SMAPBP actuator shows tip rotations on the order of 45° which is nearly triple the levels achieved by piezoelectric PBP actuators. The paper opens with a short survey on the history of flap systems actuated by adaptive materials and delves into actuation theory. In the following the author gives a detailed explanation of the design concept and the manufacturing of the airfoil. A NACA0012 airfoil with a chord length of 150 mm was used to prove the concept of the adaptive flap system. The paper continues with a description of the test setup, the CFD model assumptions and the results of wind tunnel tests. The architecture and the employment of a closed loop position feedback system to overcome the nonlinear behavior of the SMA material and the PBP mechanism is also discussed.

Examination of phase changes in the CuAl high-temperature shape memory alloy with the addition of a third element

2018 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 845-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mediha Kök ◽  
Şahin Ata ◽  
Zehra Deniz Yakıncı ◽  
Yıldırım Aydoğdu
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Phase Changes

scholarly journals Engineering Design Tools for Shape Memory Alloy Actuators: CASMART Collaborative Best Practices and Case Studies

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Wheeler ◽  
Othmane Benafan ◽  
Xiujie Gao ◽  
Frederick T. Calkins ◽  
Zahra Ghanbari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Solar Array ◽  
Design Tools ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Actuation System

The primary goal of the Consortium for the Advancement of Shape Memory Alloy Research and Technology (CASMART) is to enable the design of revolutionary applications based on shape memory alloy (SMA) technology. In order to help realize this goal and reduce the development time and required experience for the fabrication of SMA actuation systems, several modeling tools have been developed for common actuator types and are discussed herein along with case studies, which highlight the capabilities and limitations of these tools. Due to their ability to sustain high stresses and recover large deformations, SMAs have many potential applications as reliable, lightweight, solid-state actuators. Their advantage over classical actuators can also be further improved when the actuator geometry is modified to fit the specific application. In this paper, three common actuator designs are studied: wires, which are lightweight, low-profile, and easily implemented; springs, which offer actuation strokes upwards of 200% at reduced mechanical loads; and torque tubes, which can provide large actuation forces in small volumes and develop a repeatable zero-load actuation response (known as the two-way shape memory effect). The modeling frameworks, which have been implemented in the design tools, are developed for each of these frequently used SMA actuator types. In order to demonstrate the versatility and flexibility of the presented design tools, as well as validate their modeling framework, several design challenges were completed. These case studies include the design and development of an active hinge for the deployment of a solar array or foldable space structure, an adaptive solar array deployment and positioning system, a passive air temperature controller for the regulation of flow temperatures inside of a jet engine, and a redesign of the Corvette active hatch, which allows for pressure equalization of the car interior. For each of the presented case studies, a prototype or proof-of-concept was fabricated and the experimental results and lessons learned are discussed. This analysis presents a collection of CASMART collaborative best practices in order to allow readers to utilize the available design tools and understand their modeling principles. These design tools, which are based on engineering models, can provide first-order optimal designs and are a basic and efficient method for either demonstrating design feasibility or refining design parameters. Although the design and integration of an SMA-based actuation system always requires application- and environment-specific engineering considerations, common modeling tools can significantly reduce the investment required for actuation system development and provide valuable engineering insight.

Design and control of adaptive vibration absorber for multimode structure

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1043-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Siang Shaw ◽  
Cheng-An Wang
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Fuzzy Logic Controller ◽  
Vibration Suppression ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Vibration Absorber ◽  
Vibration Absorbers ◽  
Vibration Absorption ◽  
Resonant Modes ◽  
And Control

In this study, we used two tunable vibration absorbers composed of shape memory alloy to reduce vibration of a platform structure. The natural frequency of the shape memory alloy absorber can be tuned online using a fuzzy logic controller to change the axial force of the shape memory alloy wires through phase transformation. In addition, we employed the finite element method to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the multimode platform structure and to evaluate the effectiveness of the shape memory alloy vibration absorber in terms of platform vibration attenuation. Experimental testing of the platform structure was conducted to verify its modal characteristics. By setting the two shape memory alloy tunable vibration absorbers on two adjacent sides of the platform at 90 degrees to each other and offset from the platform’s center axes, it is shown that all six modes can be covered for vibration absorption. The experiments show that the vibration due to all six mode modal excitations can be attenuated by more than 7.49 dB using the shape memory alloy tunable vibration absorber. Specifically, at the fourth, fifth, and sixth resonant modes, an average of 16.68 dB vibration suppression is observed. Overall, an average of 12.69 dB vibration suppression is achieved for resonant excitation of the entire platform structure when using the designed shape memory alloy tunable vibration absorber.

An actuation system for the control of multiple shape memory alloy actuators

1996 ◽  
Vol 55 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjan Mukherjee ◽  
Thomas F. Christian ◽  
Richard A. Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Actuation System

Aerostructural and Aeroacoustic Experimental Testing of Shape Memory Alloy Slat Cove Filler

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Leaton ◽  
William Scholten ◽  
Kevin Lieb ◽  
Darren J. Hartl ◽  
Thomas Strganac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Experimental Testing
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