Receptance-Based Active Aeroelastic Control with Embedded Control Surfaces Having Actuator Dynamics

Abstract

To implement active aeroelastic control, control surfaces on a given wing configuration are moved using actuators having their own dynamic characteristics. The inclusion of actuator dynamics leads to the coupling of aeroelastic and actuator modes, and may result in instability in the closed-loop coupled aeroservoelastic system. During the design phase, various types of actuators may be considered, and hence, the stability and performance of the coupled system needs to be evaluated. In this research, a simultaneous control for aeroelastic and actuator poles is developed, which allows for the desired pole placement in a coupled aeroservoelastic system. This enables flutter boundary extension and suppression of flutter instabilities. The design of the controller is based on the method of receptances and requires the transfer functions associated with the aeroelastic structure and the actuators. This approach also allows the partial control of some selected aeroelastic modes without influencing the actuator modes, which ensures the stability of a coupled aeroservoelastic system irrespective of the selected actuator model. Different wing models having multiple control surfaces have been considered in the simulation. By using the associated numerical receptances, several examples have also been presented to demonstrate the solution strategy and performance of the controller.