This paper covers a new actuation and deflection controller configuration for high-aspect-ratio wings used on subsonic drones, missiles, and munitions. Current approaches to the flight control of these aircraft have unearthed challenges with friction, stiction, slop, bandwidth, and thick boundary layer nonlinearities, which degrade flight control accuracy—especially in terminal flight phases. The approach described in this paper uses directionally attached piezoelectric (DAP) actuators to actively twist a high-aspect-ratio wing for flight control. The DAP actuators were modeled analytically and computationally using linear finite element modeling. A 3″ (7.62 cm) chord × 15” (38.1 cm) semispan rectangular wing with an NACA 0012 profile was built and structurally tested, demonstrating excellent agreement between theory and experiment. New actuation methods were used to overdrive the PZT-5H piezoelectric elements deep into the repoling range. This overdrive actuation rejuvenated the actuator elements and allowed for dramatically improved deflections with respect to configurations in previous years. Static testing demonstrated deflections in excess of ±1.6° in root-to-tip twist. Dynamic testing showed corner frequencies greater than 310 Hz. A series of wind tunnel tests at up to 180 ft/s (55 m/s, 123 mph, 107 kts, 198 kph) demonstrated excellent roll control authority, rapid manipulation of Clδ, and lift manipulation using quasi-static deflections. The paper concludes with a summary of implications for terminal guidance for drone, missile, and munition flight control in real atmospheres.
This paper covers a class of actuators for modern high speed, high performance subscale aircraft. The paper starts with an explanation of the challenges faced by micro aircraft, including low power, extremely tight volume constraints, and high actuator bandwidth requirements. A survey of suitable actuators and actuator materials demonstrates that several classes of piezoceramic actuators are ideally matched to the operational environment. While conventional, linear actuation of piezoelectric actuators can achieve some results, dramatic improvements via reverse-biased spring mechanisms can boost performance and actuator envelopes by nearly an order of magnitude. Among the highest performance, low weight configurations are post-buckled precompressed (PBP) actuator arrangements. Analytical models display large deflections at bandwidths compatible with micro aircraft flight control speed requirements. Bench testing of an example PBP micro actuator powered low aspect ratio flight control surface displays +/−11° deflections through 40 Hz, with no occupation of volume within the aircraft fuselage and good correlation between theory and experiment. A wind tunnel model of an example high speed micro aircraft was fabricated along with low aspect ratio PBP flight control surfaces, demonstrating stable deflection characteristics with increasing speed and actuator bandwidths so high that all major aeromechanical modes could be easily controlled. A new way to control such a PBP stabilator with a Limit Dynamic Driver is found to greatly expand the dynamic range of the stabilator, boosting the dynamic response of the stabilator by more than a factor of four with position feedback system engaged.
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