Distributed Electric Propulsion for Yaw Control: Testbeds, Control Approach, and Flight Testing

Pfeifle, Ole; Frangenberg, Michael; Notter, Stefan; Denzel, Jan; Bergmann, Dominique Paul; Schneider, Johannes; Scholz, Werner; Fichter, Walter; Strohmayer, Andreas

doi:10.2514/6.2021-3192

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The determined values for the rudder power of the theoretical approach are verified using the surface vorticity Fig. 15 Ratio of vertical tail aspect ratio [7] Fig. 16 Correction factor for nonlinear lift behavior of plain flaps [8] Fig.…”

Section: Sizing Of Componentsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Integration of propelled yaw control on wing tips: a practical approach to the Icaré solar-powered glider

et al. 2022

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In this practical approach to distributed propulsion, the solar-powered manned motorglider icaré 2 has been used as a testbed for wingtip propulsion. The large wingspan and slow cruising speed of icaré 2 are highly suitable to assess the influence and potential of propellers at the wingtips for yaw control. The paper describes the work of a multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers, engineers, pilots and students, starting from the initial idea to use propellers at the wingtips of icaré 2 up to the actual flight test campaign. First, the design and development of the modular wingtip pods are described to house the propeller, electric motor, battery and further sensors and control systems. Furthermore, the modifications required for integrating the wingtip pods on the aircraft itself are outlined and the electrical and mechanical interfaces are defined and described. To obtain a permit to fly for the new configuration of the aircraft, several tests on system level of the wingtip pods needed to be conducted and documented for the authorities. Finally, the flight test campaigns carried out to date are outlined and described including the planning, lessons learned and results.

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Section: Sizing Of Componentsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Integration of propelled yaw control on wing tips: a practical approach to the Icaré solar-powered glider

et al. 2022

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“…The authors conclude that rudder deflection commands can be mimicked using asymmetric throttle commands that maintain constant net thrust. A recent study by Pfeifle et al [23] investigates the use of differential thrust for yaw control on tip-mounted propeller aircraft and shows an application during flight tests. On both test beds their controller achieved coordinated flight and strong damping of the Dutch roll motion using differential thrust alone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flight dynamics and control assessment for differential thrust aircraft in engine inoperative conditions including aero-propulsive effects

Hoogreef

Soikkeli²

2022

CEAS Aeronaut J

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Differential thrust can be used for directional control on distributed electric propulsion aircraft. This paper presents an assessment of flight dynamics and control under engine inoperative conditions at minimum control speed for a typical distributed propulsion aircraft employing differential thrust. A methodology consisting of an aerodynamic data acquisition module and a non-linear six-degrees-of-freedom flight dynamics model is proposed. Directional control is achieved using a controller to generate a yaw command, which is distributed to the propulsors through a thrust mapping approach. A modified version of the NASA X-57 aircraft is selected for case studies, where the engine inoperative condition is considered to impact the three leftmost propulsors during climb at minimum control speed. The objective also includes the assessment of the impact of the aero-propulsive coupling for such an aircraft during a failure case. Results show that during the recovery manoeuvre, the aircraft experiences a 78% reduction in total thrust and 30% reduction in total lift caused by the aggressive yaw control effort required to control the heading of the aircraft. Consequently, the powered-stall speed is increased, and the aircraft temporarily loses altitude during the recovery manoeuvre. Differential thrust provides sufficient yaw authority during the engine inoperative condition, and is, therefore, seen to potentially replace the functionality of the rudder for the climb condition that was studied. Additionally, reduction of the vertical tail area was explored and seen to be possible if the response time of the system is low enough. For the studied configuration, this required a response within 400 ms for reduced vertical tail areas.

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Incremental Control Allocation with Axis Prioritization on the Boundary of the Attainable Control Set

Pfeifle

Fichter

2023

AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum

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Distributed Electric Propulsion for Yaw Control: Testbeds, Control Approach, and Flight Testing

Cited by 4 publications

References 6 publications

Integration of propelled yaw control on wing tips: a practical approach to the Icaré solar-powered glider

Integration of propelled yaw control on wing tips: a practical approach to the Icaré solar-powered glider

Flight dynamics and control assessment for differential thrust aircraft in engine inoperative conditions including aero-propulsive effects

Incremental Control Allocation with Axis Prioritization on the Boundary of the Attainable Control Set

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