Automatic control systems

Nadjim HORRI
Fly by wire

Actuation systems

Stability augmentation and autopilots

Before FBW (Fly by wire)

2

Mechanical flight control

Hydro-mechanical flight control

3

Fly by wire
4

Late 70s  Analog FBW, Late 80s Digital FBW

- Eliminates the mechanical complexity of the rods,
linkages connecting pilot stick to control surfaces.
Translates pilot commands to electrical signals that
can be merged with other flight data in flight
computers Weight saving.
- Fail safe auto-stabilisation (high integrity software
/hardware.
- Wider feasible flight envelope for agile aircraft
(Speed and height limits). Limits pilot commands to
remain within the envelope: Carefree manoevring
Civil airliners now use FBW : A-319, A-320, A-34,
A380, B-777, B-787.
Modern fighters use FBW.

Eurofighter Typhoon FBW system

Generic fly by wire loop for a control surface

5

Fly by wire control loop

Primary and secondary flight controls

There are also data from the FMS (flight management system) to
feed into the flight computer (Itinerary, waypoints, )

FBW control stick,

6


The passive FBW inceptor

features were designed to meet
consensus pilot approval (Linear
roll, but pitch requires a step
increase in force for higher g
manoeuvres).
Spring-mass-damper
system
provides passive low pass
filtering of stick movement.
Potentiometers feed the stick
force

Laplace properties used today as a

problem solving tool
The Laplace or S-transform maps the time domain to the frequency
domain, where fast responses are represented as a high frequency,
slow responses are represented as a low frequency.
Laplace transform properties used today:
Laplace

y (t ) Y ( s )
dy (t ) Laplace
sY ( s )
y& =
dt
d 2 y (t ) Laplace
&y& =
s 2Y ( s )
2
dt
t
Y (s)
Laplace
y
(

)
d

0
s

symbols s or D can both

be used for the S domain
derivative

Certain references (some of todays figures) use the

D notation instead of s

From dynamic motion models to transfer

function
Motion control System models can be written as differential equations
because acceleration, velocity are second and first derivatives of position .
&y& + a1 y& (t ) + a0 y (t ) = b0u (t ) s 2Y ( s) + a1sY ( s) + a0Y ( s) = b0U ( s)

Think of y as an
angle/position to control
Think of u as an actuator
control input (elevator angle
command, throttle force )

Transfer
function
form

Input U

b0
b0
Y ( s)
= 2
or 2
U ( s ) s + a1s + a0 D + a1 D + a0

b0
D 2 + a1 D + a0

Output Y

Block diagram representation

Transfer function

Hydraulic actuator: PCU or Power Control Unit

9

Valve movement to the right due to

pilot stick:
=

Geometry: Thales intercept

theorem
Actuator velocity constant Kv

Valve movement in opposite direction due

to opening of ports in spool valve:
=

Actuator has a 1st order

model (Filter with a gain)

Stability Augmentation System (SAS)

10


The need for improved damping and

stability about all 3 axes is addressed
by the auto-stabilising SAS (Stability
Augmentation System) system.
Typically
used
in
agile
high
performance jets and civil aircraft.
Full authority SAS may be needed in
certain parts of a flight envelope
(Implemented with redundancy).

Example: Yaw dampers feed angular

rates through an BPF with high
frequency cutoff. Filter attenuation
increases at lower frequencies to
prevent the SAS from opposing pilot
rudder commands.

Aircraft dynamics in 3D
11

.
Coupling terms
X=
Y=
Z=

U,V,W: Velocities on x,y,z axes

p,q,r: Roll rate, pitch rate, yaw rate
L,M,N: Aerodynamic moments on X,Y,Z axes
X,Y,Z: Aerodynamic force on x,y,z axes

Roll rate FBW closed loop manoeuvring

12

1st order transfer

function from aileron
to roll rate:
I x p& = L = L + L p p
I x Dp = L + L p p
p ( D) L
1
=
( D) L p 1 + TR D

TR is known as time constant

Pitch rate SAS

13

U assumed
constant

Stability derivatives
Acceleration

w
w = U w& = &U
U

Z = Z + Z

= m(w& Uq ) = mU (& q )
M = M + M + M q q

I y q&
=

Notation:
: Elevator angle
: Angle of attack
Iy: Moment of inertia about roll axis
U,w: Velocities on x,z axes
Z: aerodynamic force on z axis
q:pitch rate

Pitch rate SAS

14


By defining
T1=Iy/Mq

T2=mU/Z

It can be shown (Not here), that:

Can take
the form:
Second order
transfer function
Damping ratio

Natural frequency

Pitch rate can be

controlled by a
proportional
controller

Pitch with auto stab

15

pilot

Second order system step input response

Proportional
control

The transfer function

has better damping and
pilotStick
higher frequency n.

Roll yaw SAS

16

When the trim condition is constant pitch

and constant speed U:
- Pitch dynamics are fully decoupled 
Longitudinal motion.
- Roll/Yaw dynamics remain coupled
(except for very small roll or yaw rates)
 Lateral motion.

Lateral motion SAS

17

Notch filtering of flexible mode

resonance

Typical flexible longitudinal modes

of an aircraft
Notch (band stop) filter

Longitudinal: Pitch rate SAS

18

Phugoid mode
Short periodic
mode

Autopilot loop
19

To track a flight path, for example:

- To correct vertical deviation from path by controlling pitch
(Pitch control loop).
- To correct lateral displacement from the path (Control the
bank angle to change heading).
- Autothrottle to regulate the speed u.

Altitude hold autopilot

20

Each loop has

a controller
gain

Pitch rate
autopilot

Altitude hold
requires combined
pitch and angle of
attack feedback.

Speed autopilot: Autothrottle

21

Aircraft speed must be controlled to control the position of the

aircraft with respect to a reference and track a desired path.
- Aircraft speed is controlled by changing engine thrust by
altering the amount of fuel flowing to the engines.
- Closed loop control uses measured/desired airspeed to control
throttle servo actuators, which operate engine throttle.

Bank angle loop-autopilot

22

Concentric control loops

Zcos=mg
&
Zsin=mU

& = g tan( ) g

U
U

: Heading angle
: Bank angle
D = K Error

& =p

Zero bank if
heading is correct

Inner roll rate

p ( D) L
1
=
control loop was :
( D) L p 1 + TR D

Fly by light control system

23

This system uses bi-directional optical

links, opening new possibilities:
- Fibre optic is an insulator (Zero
propagation of electrical faults) , EMI
shield.
- Status/health checks (bi-directional)
- Light weight, wiring length reduced,
smart actuators (Actuator and
electronics collocated).
- Data transmission (Wavelength
division multiplexing), single fibre can
carry multiple channels coded as light
pulses of different wavelengths.
Will use Data bus protocul MIL-STD-1773

The sky ship 600 airship has had FBL

controls.
FBL was tested on the F-18 fighter, to
be tested on a Boeing 757.