Flight Control Actuator Analysis and Design

Instructor(s)

Description

Provides an in-depth understanding of actuators, sensors, and other components in flight control design. Includes both analysis practice and design guidance for flight control system components. Assumes an understanding of linear controls analysis techniques.

Target Audience

Designed for recent graduates of engineering or for practicing engineers outside the aerospace industry who need practical exposure to the types of actuation hardware, sensors, and design practice used on both commercial and military aircraft. Students should have an acquaintance with control design software (MATLAB is used in the course for certain example problems).

Class Time

Class time: 33.75 hours

Course Outline

Day One

Introduction
Overview of aircraft flight control surfaces, components, and functions: primary flight control, secondary flight control; trim and feel, power control units
Advanced actuation concepts
Mechanically controlled actuation schemes: modeling and simulation basics
Electrically signaled (Fly-By-Wire or FBW) systems

Day Two

Electrically signaled (FBW) systems (continued)
Modeling and simulation of FBW examples
Alternate command systems
Electrically powered actuation (Power-By-Wire or PBW) systems

Day Three

Electrically powered actuation (Power-By-Wire or PBW) systems (continued)
Modeling and simulation of PBW examples
Flight control system design requirements
Specifications and documents: Power Control Unit (PCU) and Power-Drive Unit (PDU) analysis and design

Day Four

PCU and PDU analysis and design (continued)
Dynamic performance and response

Day Five

Dynamic analysis and modeling exercise
PCU assembly and installation
Quality assurance

Comments from Past Participants

"This class is not what I expected it to be, a detailed course about how to design an electromechanical actuator. However, I appreciate it tremendously because Dr. Ward introduced us to a larger scope of actuator design: how the actuators interact and control the aircraft. Dr. Ward gave us the basic tools to explore the world of actuator controls. It is just a beginning but an extremely important one for us who work on actuators." —Chan Nguyen, Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems

"The course is a time effective refresher for theory, practice, and technique." —Eric Lutz, Northrop Grumman

Dates and Locations

This course is available for on-site presentation.
Please contact Soma Chakrabarti at 785-864-7855
or aerosite@ku.edu
for more information.

For Course Information

Contact Kim Hunsinger
at 785-864-4758
or use the button below:

On-Site Course Information

Find out how courses
can be tailored to
your company’s needs.
Contact Soma Chakrabarti
at 785-864-7855
or use the button below:

Registration Information

Mail
Aerospace Short Courses
The University of Kansas
Continuing Education
Registrations
1515 St. Andrews Drive
Lawrence, KS 66047-1625

Phone
Toll-free 877-404-5823
or 785-864-5823
Fax
785-864-4871
TDD
800-766-3777
E-mail
kuce@ku.edu