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Life extending control of aircraft: trade-off between flight performance and structural durability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

A. Ray  and
J. Caplin
A. Ray
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University, USA
J. Caplin
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University, USA
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Abstract

The goal of life extending control (LEC) is to enhance the service life of complex mechanical systems, such as aircraft, spacecraft, and energy conversion devices, without any significant loss of performance, and can be achieved by making a trade-off between dynamic performance and structural durability. This paper presents the concept and a design methodology for robust life extending control of aircraft structures that are typically subjected to cyclic mechanical stresses. The controller design procedure relies on the specifications of flight performance and allowable fatigue crack damage at critical points of aircraft structures that serve as indicators of the effective service life. As an example, an aeroelastic model of the aircraft wings has been formulated and is incorporated into a nonlinear rigid-body model of the flight-dynamics. The H∞-based structured singular value (μ) synthesis method has been used to design robust life extending controllers based on a linearised model of the aircraft and a (nonlinear) state-space model of fatigue crack growth. The results of simulation experiments show significant savings in fatigue life of the wings while retaining the dynamic performance of the aircraft.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 104 , Issue 1039 , September 2000 , pp. 397 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1979 

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