Modeling of Actuators for Control Surfaces of a Glide-Body Air Vehicle

Author(s):

Yan Borden, Daniel Inman, Muthuvel Murugan, and D. Johann Djanal-Mann

Abstract:

This research examined various smart material actuation systems to provide shape-changing capability for glide-body air vehicles. The morphing surfaces of interest consist of lifting surfaces, forebody, and control surfaces. Metrics included the speed of response of the actuation mechanism as well as the required force and deflection. Several shape memory alloys and piezoceramic materials in various device configurations and combinations were considered with the resulting selection being a piezoelectric stack actuation with a passive hydraulic amplifier. Modeling, numerical simulations, and hardware tests were used to size a piezohydraulic actuator prototype consisting of three piezoelectric stacks and a custom hydraulic stroke amplification stage. This system was manufactured and experimentally characterized. The system dynamics were modeled with a nonsymmetrical Bouc–Wen hysteresis model linked with a fluid model based on momentum conservation. A DC linear actuator was also modeled as a competing solution to compare to the piezohydraulic approach using the same metrics. The DC motor actuator was characterized by estimating the parameters of a simplistic analytical model using experimentally acquired data.