IEEE - Aerospace and Electronic Systems - February 2022 - 31

Díaz et al.
Functionality was also checked to ensure it was user-appropriate
(subsystem/system at the next integration level).
CONCLUSIONS
The use of electrical power-on-demand systems instead of
hydraulic systems are becoming the norm in all new A/C
developments, with the continuing need to reduce overall
fuel burn on the A/C leading to the use ofmore electrically
powered systems. Thus, the all-electric aircraft is a major
target for the next generation of A/C in order to lower the
consumption ofnonpropulsive power and reduce fuel burn.
Motivated by the advent ofnovel EMA actuators for A/C
Figure 10.
Sinusoidal force input signal experiment (red) and aileron rig
actuator response (green).
surfaces, such as ailerons and flaps, the development of a
flexible and modular test bench has thus been presented here.
It describes a flexible and affordable complete rig assembly
for testing EMAs and control units of A/C control surfaces,
with its modular conception making it easy to build testing
setups for one or two complete wings. Thus, this flexible integrated
test rig will become a cornerstone for the on-ground
validation of each EMA and, jointly, the whole wings of the
A/C in terms of electrical energy efficiency, performance of
EMA control algorithms and equipment, and design ofEMA
mechanical interfaces, etc.
The proposed system provides EMA and control unit
manufacturers with a necessary tool for improving their products
(mechanical interfaces, mechanical design, control units,
control algorithms, electrical drives, etc.) and evaluation and
validation of products, reducing costs and marketing time.
Knowledge can be acquired via the possibility of testing different
scenarios (better process sequence, how to deal with
troubles, etc.) and the opportunities and benefits associated
with the introduction ofEMAs can thus be evaluated.
Figure 11.
Ramp force input signal experiment (blue) and flap-tab rig
actuator response (red).
and automatic modes to also be considered. Several automatic
execution profiles, at all levels of integration, were
likewise considered in order to reproduce the environment
within which the flight control system operates in the case
of an FTB2 demonstrator. The use of these profiles provides
repeatability capability for nonregression testing
once the software version has evolved, while a wide range
of profiles were considered, according to different load
conditions at a surface level, as well as failure injection (at
command lines, during communication between subsystems
lines, and at sensor lines), and dynamic response and
stability. With this set of tests, all possible scenarios in
which the system being tested may operate under flight
conditions are reproduced, and the system response is
characterized and verified against the requirements.
FEBRUARY 2022
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking
(JU) under Grant 738110. The JU was supported in
part by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and
Innovation Programme and in part by the Clean Sky 2 JU
members other than the Union.
REFERENCES
[1] J. A. Rosero, J. A. Ortega, E. Aldabas, and L. Romeral,
" Moving towards a more electric aircraft, " IEEE Aerosp.
Electron. Syst. Mag., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 3-9, Mar. 2007,
doi: 10.1109/MAES.2007.340500.
[2] B. Sarlioglu and C. T. Morris, " More electric aircraft:
Review, challenges, and opportunities for commercial
transport aircraft, " IEEE Trans. Transport. Electrific.,
vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 54-64, Jun. 2015, doi: 10.1109/
TTE.2015.2426499.
IEEE A&E SYSTEMS MAGAZINE
31
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MAES.2007.340500 http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TTE.2015.2426499 http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TTE.2015.2426499
IEEE - Aerospace and Electronic Systems - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE - Aerospace and Electronic Systems - February 2022
