Project description
Virtual modelling tool for electric aircraft actuators
More-electric aircraft is an emerging design concept towards realising all-electric aircraft and reducing fuel consumption and emissions. New power sources are allowing more systems to be driven by electromechanical actuators. Owing to their huge potential, fail-safe operation of such systems is critical. The EU-funded project IOVISTAS VIRTEST is developing a virtual tool for testing electromechanical actuators mounted on flight control surfaces such as ailerons, flaps, spoilers and winglets. It requires no complex and costly platforms, providing more flexibility in product design, while also meeting safety standards.
Objective
"The aim of IOVISTAS VIRTEST project is to contribute to achieve the major expectations from More Electric Aircraft and consequently for reducing fuel consumption, by developing an innovative virtual testing methodology for on ground test facilities dedicated to High Voltage direct Current integration. The project will allow avoiding difficulties related to physical test benches used in aircraft development process, which are complex platforms with high initial and recurring costs. They are usually on the critical path on the development and cannot be easily multiplied to increase the validation capacity.
In particular, the facilities and equipment proposed will be used to test on ground actuation systems of electromechanical actuated surfaces such as ailerons, flaps, spoiler and winglet proposed by the Topic Manager in the context of Clean Sky 2 Regional FTB2 demonstrator, following the technology validation process before the aircraft integration.
In this context the general objective of IOVISTAS VIRTEST project is the design, development and installation of a configurable virtual/hybrid/real ground test environment, aircraft and airframe representative, according to VISTAS EUROCAE standard for on-ground tested validation (up TRL5 of technology integration of airframe) of flight control surfaces driven by electromechanical actuators powered by high voltage DC electrical generation (HVDC).
This general objective is twofold:
• To develop an A/C representative electrical test installation composed by the HVDC part of the A/C electrical generation and distribution system.
• To develop the I/O box concept, in accordance with VISTAS protocol, in order to provide the necessary interconnection between real and virtual test environments, and providing the necessary infrastructure for virtualization at FTB#2 actuation on-ground rig.
The HVDC electrical installation of test bench design will be fully representative of aircraft environment containing real aircraft equipment."
Fields of science
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
28820 Coslada Madrid
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.