Redundant electromechanical actuator operation analysis in case of failures

Abstract

Abstract In the modern aircraft control systems electro-hydraulic actuators are used widely, due to structural and elemental redundancy, they remain operational even in case of two heterogeneous failures. However, the hydraulic systems supplying them require regular maintenance and have large overall dimensions. The more electric aircraft concept involves reducing the number of hydraulic systems and replacing part of the actuators with electromechanical ones powered by a centralized electrical system. This requires highly reliable electromechanical actuators development and determines to search for ways to implement their structural and elemental redundancy. The modern elements, including electric motors with rare-earth metals, wave gears and power electronics, has low mass and size specifications. However, the reliability issues associated with structural and elemental redundancy for electromechanical actuators are not well studied and are under development. In this article a redundant electromechanical rotary actuator and its reconfiguration algorithm descriptions are given for in the events of heterogeneous failures. This algorithm is used to compile a mathematical model and conduct simulation experiments. It is shown that by means of structural redundancy the actuator remains operable even in case of two heterogeneous failures.