Fuzzy Logic-Based Control for a Morphing Wing Tip Actuation System: Design, Numerical Simulation, and Wind Tunnel Experimental Testing

The paper presents the design, numerical simulation, and wind tunnel experimental testing of a fuzzy logic-based control system for a new morphing wing actuation system equipped with Brushless DC (BLDC) motors, under the framework of an international project between Canada and Italy. Morphing wing is a prime concern of the aviation industry and, due to the promising results, it can improve fuel optimization. In this idea, a major international morphing wing project has been carried out by our university team from Canada, in collaboration with industrial, research, and university entities from our country, but also from Italy, by using a full-scaled portion of a real aircraft wing equipped with an aileron. The target was to conceive, manufacture, and test an experimental wing model able to be morphed in a controlled manner and to provide in this way an extension of the laminar airflow region over its upper surface, producing a drag reduction with direct impact on the fuel consumption economy. The work presented in the paper aims to describe how the experimental model has been developed, controlled, and tested, to prove the feasibility of the morphing wing technology for the next generation of aircraft.

Download Full-text

Novel morphing wing actuator control-based Particle Swarm Optimisation

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/aer.2019.114 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 124 (1271) ◽

pp. 55-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. Khan ◽

T. L. Grigorie ◽

R. M. Botez ◽

M. Mamou ◽

Y. Mébarki

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Wind Tunnel ◽

Experimental Model ◽

Experimental Testing ◽

Pressure Sensors ◽

Particle Swarm ◽

Particle Swarm Optimisation ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Software Model ◽

Actuation System

AbstractThe paper presents the design and experimental testing of the control system used in a new morphing wing application with a full-scaled portion of a real wing. The morphing actuation system uses four similar miniature brushless DC (BLDC) motors placed inside the wing, which execute a direct actuation of the flexible upper surface of the wing made from composite materials. The control system of each actuator uses three control loops (current, speed and position) characterised by five control gains. To tune the control gains, the Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) method is used. The application of the PSO method supposed the development of a MATLAB/Simulink® software model for the controlled actuator, which worked together with a software sub-routine implementing the PSO algorithm to find the best values for the five control gains that minimise the cost function. Once the best values of the control gains are established, the software model of the controlled actuator is numerically simulated in order to evaluate the quality of the obtained control system. Finally, the designed control system is experimentally validated in bench tests and wind-tunnel tests for all four miniature actuators integrated in the morphing wing experimental model. The wind-tunnel testing treats the system as a whole and includes, besides the evaluation of the controlled actuation system, the testing of the integrated morphing wing experimental model and the evaluation of the aerodynamic benefits brought by the morphing technology on this project. From this last perspective, the airflow on the morphing upper surface of the experimental model is monitored by using various techniques based on pressure data collection with Kulite pressure sensors or on infrared thermography camera visualisations.

Download Full-text

Design, numerical simulation and experimental testing of a controlled electrical actuation system in a real aircraft morphing wing model

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/s0001924000011131 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 119 (1219) ◽

pp. 1047-1072 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

R. M. Botez ◽

M. J. Tchatchueng Kammegne ◽

L. T. Grigorie

Keyword(s):

Experimental Testing ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Theoretical Simulation ◽

Actuation Mechanism ◽

Wing Model ◽

Actuation System ◽

Structural Rigidity ◽

Bench Testing ◽

And Control

AbstractThe paper focuses on the modelling, simulation and control of an electrical miniature actuator integrated in the actuation mechanism of a new morphing wing application. The morphed wing is a portion of an existing regional aircraft wing, its interior consisting of spars, stringers, and ribs, and having a structural rigidity similar to the rigidity of a real aircraft. The upper surface of the wing is a flexible skin, made of composite materials, and optimised in order to fulfill the morphing wing project requirements. In addition, a controllable rigid aileron is attached on the wing. The established architecture of the actuation mechanism uses four similar miniature actuators fixed inside the wing and actuating directly the flexible upper surface of the wing. The actuator was designed in-house, as there is no actuator on the market that could fit directly inside our morphing wing model. It consists of a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor with a gearbox and a screw for pushing and pulling the flexible upper surface of the wing. The electrical motor and the screw are coupled through a gearing system. Before proceeding with the modelling, the actuator is tested experimentally (stand alone configuration) to ensure that the entire range of the requirements (rated or nominal torque, nominal current, nominal speed, static force, size) would be fulfilled. In order to validate the theoretical, simulation and standalone configuration experimental studies, a bench testing and a wind-tunnel testing of four similar actuators integrated on the real morphing wing model are performed.

Download Full-text

Sensing, Actuation, and Control of the SmartX Prototype Morphing Wing in the Wind Tunnel

Actuators ◽

10.3390/act10060107 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 107

Author(s):

Nakash Nazeer ◽

Xuerui Wang ◽

Roger M. Groves

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Optical Fibers ◽

Fiber Optic ◽

Experimental Testing ◽

Single Mode ◽

Fiber Optic Sensor ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Random Errors ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Actuator Dynamics

This paper presents a study on trailing edge deflection estimation for the SmartX camber morphing wing demonstrator. This demonstrator integrates the technologies of smart sensing, smart actuation and smart controls using a six module distributed morphing concept. The morphing sequence is brought about by two actuators present at both ends of each of the morphing modules. The deflection estimation is carried out by interrogating optical fibers that are bonded on to the wing’s inner surface. A novel application is demonstrated using this method that utilizes the least amount of sensors for load monitoring purposes. The fiber optic sensor data is used to measure the deflections of the modules in the wind tunnel using a multi-modal fiber optic sensing approach and is compared to the deflections estimated by the actuators. Each module is probed by single-mode optical fibers that contain just four grating sensors and consider both bending and torsional deformations. The fiber optic method in this work combines the principles of hybrid interferometry and FBG spectral sensing. The analysis involves an initial calibration procedure outside the wind tunnel followed by experimental testing in the wind tunnel. This method is shown to experimentally achieve an accuracy of 2.8 mm deflection with an error of 9%. The error sources, including actuator dynamics, random errors, and nonlinear mechanical backlash, are identified and discussed.

Download Full-text

Implementation of a Hybrid Electro-Active Actuated Morphing Wing in Wind Tunnel

Solid State Phenomena ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/ssp.260.85 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 260 ◽

pp. 85-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gurvan Jodin ◽

Johannes Scheller ◽

Eric Duhayon ◽

Jean François Rouchon ◽

Marianna Braza

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Shape Memory ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Aerodynamic Performance ◽

Point Of View ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Wind Tunnel Experiments ◽

Trailing Edge ◽

Actuation System ◽

Hybrid Actuation

Amongst current aircraft research topics, morphing wing is of great interest for improving the aerodynamic performance. A morphing wing prototype has been designed for wind tunnel experiments. The rear part of the wing - corresponding to the retracted flap - is actuated via a hybrid actuation system using both low frequency camber control and a high frequency vibrating trailing edge. The camber is modified via surface embedded shape memory alloys. The trailing edge vibrates thanks to piezoelectric macro-fiber composites. The actuated camber, amplitude and frequency ranges are characterized. To accurately control the camber, six independent shape memory alloy wires are controlled through nested closed-loops. A significant reduction in power consumption is possible via this control strategy. The effects on flow via morphing have been measured during wind tunnel experiments. This low scale mock-up aims to demonstrate the hybrid morphing concept, according to actuator capabilities point of view as well as aerodynamic performance.

Download Full-text

A hybrid fuzzy logic proportional-integral-derivative and conventional on-off controller for morphing wing actuation using shape memory alloy Part 1: Morphing system mechanisms and controller architecture design

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/s0001924000006977 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 116 (1179) ◽

pp. 433-449 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

T. L. Grigorie ◽

R. M. Botez ◽

A. V. Popov ◽

M. Mamou ◽

Y. Mébarki

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Shape Memory ◽

Research Work ◽

Pressure Sensors ◽

Proportional Integral Derivative ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Proportional Integral ◽

Sma Actuators ◽

Hybrid Controller ◽

Actuation System

AbstractThe present paper describes the design of a hybrid actuation control concept, a fuzzy logic proportional-integral-derivative plus a conventional on-off controller, for a new morphing mechanism using smart materials as actuators, which were made from shape memory alloys (SMA). The research work described here was developed for the open loop phase of a morphing wing system, whose primary goal was to reduce the wing drag by delaying the transition (from laminar to fully turbulent flows) position toward the wing trailing edge. The designed controller drives the actuation system equipped with SMA actuators to modify the flexible upper wing skin surface. The designed controller was also included, as an internal loop, in the closed loop architecture of the morphing wing system, based on the pressure information received from the flexible skin mounted pressure sensors and on the estimation of the transition location.The controller’s purposes were established following a comprehensive presentation of the morphing wing system architecture and requirements. The strong nonlinearities of the SMA actuators’ characteristics and the system requirements led to the choice of a hybrid controller architecture as a combination of a bi-positional on-off controller and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC). In the chosen architecture, the controller would behave as a switch between the SMA cooling and heating phases, situations where the output current is 0A or is controlled by the FLC.In the design phase, a proportional-integral-derivative scheme was chosen for the FLC. The input-output mapping of the fuzzy model was designed, taking account of the system’s error and its change in error, and a final architecture for the hybrid controller was obtained. The shapes chosen for the inputs’ membership functions weres-function,π-function, andz-function, and product fuzzy inference and the center average defuzzifier were applied (Sugeno).

Download Full-text

Design and wind tunnel experimental validation of a controlled new rotary actuation system for a morphing wing application

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part G Journal of Aerospace Engineering ◽

10.1177/0954410015588573 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 230 (1) ◽

pp. 132-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Michel Joël Tchatchueng Kammegne ◽

Lucian Teodor Grigorie ◽

Ruxandra Mihaela Botez ◽

Andreea Koreanschi

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Experimental Validation ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Actuation System

Download Full-text

An Intelligent Controller based Fuzzy Logic Techniques for a Morphing Wing Actuation System using Shape Memory Alloy

52nd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference ◽

10.2514/6.2011-2133 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lucian Grigorie ◽

Ruxandra Botez ◽

Andrei Popov ◽

Mahmood Mamou ◽

Youssef Mebarki

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Shape Memory Alloy ◽

Shape Memory ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Intelligent Controller ◽

Actuation System

Download Full-text

Flutter Analysis of a Morphing Wing Technology Demonstrator: Numerical Simulation and Wind Tunnel Testinga

INCAS BULLETIN ◽

10.13111/2066-8201.2016.8.1.10 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 99-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

KOREANSCHI Andreea ◽

◽

HENIA Mehdi ben ◽

GUILLEMETTE Olivier ◽

MICHAUD Francois ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Numerical Simulation ◽

Wind Tunnel ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Flutter Analysis ◽

Technology Demonstrator

Download Full-text

A hybrid fuzzy logic proportional-integral-derivative and conventional on-off controller for morphing wing actuation using shape memory alloy Part 2: Controller implementation and validation

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/s0001924000006989 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 116 (1179) ◽

pp. 451-465 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

T. L. Grigorie ◽

R. M. Botez ◽

A. V. Popov ◽

M. Mamou ◽

Y. Mébarki

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Wind Tunnel ◽

Shape Memory Alloy ◽

Data Acquisition ◽

Shape Memory ◽

Experimental Validation ◽

Power Supplies ◽

Proportional Integral Derivative ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Proportional Integral

Abstract The paper presents the numerical and experimental validation of a hybrid actuation control concept – fuzzy logic proportional-integral-derivative (PID) plus conventional on-off – for a new morphing wing mechanism, using smart materials made of shape memory alloy (SMA) as actuators. After a presentation of the hybrid controller architecture that was adopted in the Part 1, this paper focuses on its implementation, simulation and validation. The PID on-off controller was numerically and experimentally implemented using the Matlab/Simulink software. Following preliminary numerical simulations which were conducted to tune the controller, an experimental validation was performed. 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 data acquisition inputs 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’s output channels were used to control power supplies in order to obtain the desired skin deflections. The experimental validation utilised an experimental bench test in laboratory conditions in the absence of aerodynamic forces, and a wind-tunnel test for different actuation commands. Simultaneously, the optimised aerofoils were experimentally validated with the theoretically-determined aerofoils obtained earlier. Both the transition point real time position detection and visualisation were realised in wind tunnel tests.

Download Full-text