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Lateral control allocation using ailerons and roll spoilers for fly-by-wire aircraft

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Abstract

To perform maneuvers in a fly-by-wire aircraft, a pilot usually commands the yoke or the stick. This command is interpreted by a Flight control computer (FCC), which activates actuators of the control surfaces. To roll large aircraft, it is usual to employ ailerons and roll spoilers as control surfaces. The amount of deflection shared with each control surface is known as control allocation, and it is computed by flight control laws, algorithms embedded in the FCC. This work compares two methods of control allocation to roll aircraft, taking advantage of the flexibility given by fly-by-wire architecture, to compute adequate deflections of ailerons and roll spoilers that comply with requirements of performance, stability and handling qualities. Moreover, it presents alternatives to deal with possible nonlinearities of the roll spoilers. As a first method, it was considered a dead zone for roll spoilers, such that roll spoilers deflect only after certain deflection of ailerons. As a second method, it was considered that ailerons and roll spoilers work together whenever required. The study of the two methods covers real aspects for design in the whole flight envelope, in order to implement in a FCC: study of the bare-airframe (large-heavy transport/cargo aircraft adopted in this case), definition of objectives, control architecture, linear design, nonlinear integration and pilot-in-the-loop simulations. As result, pros and cons of each method are presented. In one hand, the first method is a conservative approach to deal with nonlinear behavior of roll spoilers around small deflections for example but can expose ailerons to rate saturation when deflecting alone in scenarios with poor control power. On the other hand, the second method alleviates the work of the ailerons, but it assumes a reliable model for design, which might be hard to develop. The results were validated with offline simulations and with pilots in a flight simulator.

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Abbreviations

\(\alpha\) :

Angle of attack (deg, rad)

\(\beta\) :

Angle of sideslip (deg, rad)

\(\delta _{\rm{ail}}\) :

Deflection of total aileron (right-hand minus left-hand deflection) (deg)

\(\delta _{\rm rud}\) :

Deflection of rudder (deg)

\(\delta _{\rm{spl}}\) :

Deflection of total roll spoiler (left-hand minus right-hand deflection) (deg)

\(\zeta\) :

Damping ratio (−)

\(\theta\) :

Euler pitch angle (deg, rad)

\(\phi\) :

Euler roll angle (deg, rad)

\(\dot{\phi }\) :

Euler roll angle rate (deg/s)

\(\omega\) :

Frequency (rad/s)

b :

Wing span (ft)

\(_{b}\) :

Subscript for body axis

\(_c\) Or \(_{\rm{cmd}}\) :

subscript for command

\(C_{l}\) :

Rolling moment coefficient (−)

\(C_{n}\) :

Yawing moment coefficient (−)

\(_{\rm{CF}}\) :

Subscript for complementary filter

\(_{\rm{est}}\) :

Subscript for estimated

g:

Gravity acceleration (\(m/s^2\))

\(I_{xx}\) :

Inertia moment around rolling axis (\(slug.ft^2\))

\(I_{zz}\) :

Inertia moment around yawing axis (\(slug.ft^2\))

\(_{in}\) :

Subscript for inertial

K :

Gain (generic)

\(N_{y}\) :

Lateral acceleration at CG, in body axis (g)

\(N_{z}\) :

(Load Factor) Normal acceleration at CG, in body axis (g)

p :

Roll Rate (\(_b\) for body axis, \(_s\) for stability axis (deg/s, rad/s)

\(_{\rm{PF}}\) :

Subscript for pre-filter

\(\bar{q}\) :

Dynamic pressure (psf)

r :

Yaw Rate (\(_b\) for body axis, \(_s\) for stability axis (deg/s, rad/s)

s :

Laplace variable (frequency domain) (−)

S :

Wing area (\(\text{ft}^2\))

\(_{s}\) :

Subscript for stability axis

\(_{\rm sns}\) :

Subscript for measurements from sensors

\(_{\rm tr}\) :

Subscript for fixed variable in trim condition

\(V_{\rm T}\) :

True airspeed (ft/s, m/s)

Alt:

Pressure altitude (ft)

CG:

Center of gravity

FCC:

Flight control computer

HVA:

Heavy weight/aft CG

HVF:

Heavy weight/forward CG

KEAS:

Equivalent airspeed (kt)

LFE:

Limit flight envelope

LGA:

Light weight/aft CG

LGF:

Light weight/forward CG

MID:

Medium weight/medium CG

NFE:

Normal flight envelope

PIO:

Pilot-Induced oscillation

PFD:

Primary flight display

SIVOR:

Flight simulator with robotic platform of movement

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to EMBRAER company and ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) for providing infra-structure, tools and personnel (pilots and engineers) which contributed with the development of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Flight Control Laws, Embraer, Rod. Pres. Dutra km 134, São José dos Campos, SP, 12247820, Brazil

    Juliano A. B. Gripp & Marco A. G. Moreira

  2. Systems of Manufacturing and Laser, Instituto SENAI de Inovação, R. Arno Waldemar Döhler, 308, Joinville, SC, 89218153, Brazil

    Luís G. Trabasso

  3. Chief Engineer Office, Embraer, Av. Brig. Faria Lima 2170, São José dos Campos, SP, 12227901, Brazil

    Cleverson M. P. Marinho

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  1. Juliano A. B. Gripp
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Correspondence to Juliano A. B. Gripp.

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Gripp, J.A.B., Moreira, M.A.G., Trabasso, L.G. et al. Lateral control allocation using ailerons and roll spoilers for fly-by-wire aircraft. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 46, 154 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-024-04730-3

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