Thesis (Master of Military Studies)-Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from title page of PDF document (viewed on: Dec 29, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis is concerned with the operational benefit of the Integrated Mechanical Diagnostics Health and Usage Management Systems (IMD HUMS) rotor track and balance (RTB) functionality. The questions addressed are whether there is a savings in flight hours expended on functional check flights (FCF's) when compared to present practices, if there will there be a reduction in directed maintenance man-hours (DMMH) spent on maintenance related to the rotor system, and the impact on Operational Availability. Experiments were conducted using a discrete event simulation model of squadron flight operations and organizational level maintenance. The simulation is generic and can be used in the analysis of other helicopters. Input parameters governing the distributions of maintenance action inter-arrival times were estimated from Naval Aviation Logistics Data Analysis (NALDA) databases and squadron experiences on such systems. The analysis suggests that flight hours spent in FCF are dependent upon vibration growth rate, an unknown quantity, and the maintenance policy for rotor smoothing. Directed maintenance man-hours decrease with increasing numbers of IMD HUMS configured aircraft and further gains are achieved with a maintenance policy suited to a continuous monitoring system. / Captain, United States Marine Corps

M.Ing. / Linear control system theory is well developed and has lead to a number of control system types with well-defined design methods that can be applied to any linear system. Unfortunately, no system in nature is truly linear. As a result, such non-linear systems must be represented by a linear model that is accurate over some region of the operating states of the system. The success of linear control theory in commercial applications is testament to the fact that some types of systems can be adequately represented by a linear model. However, systems with time-varying dynamics or non-linearities such as input or operating state saturation cannot always be adequately controlled by linear control systems. For that reason, non-linear control techniques must be investigated. This project aims to investigate Non-linear Model Predictive Control theory and practical implementation in the context of developing an autopilot for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle based on a miniature helicopter. A non-linear model of the dynamics of an X-Cell Spectra G radio-controlled helicopter was developed based on the existing literature. A number of experiments were performed to determine the parameters of this model. Significant future work exists in designing additional ground experiments since certain parameters are difficult to measure safely in the laboratory. Additional work to improve the accuracy of the model at high airspeeds, as well as incorporating a more accurate yaw dynamics model, is also required. Following this, a Non-linear Model Predictive Control autopilot was simulated using MATLAB®. The simulation tested the effects of control system parameters such as control horizon and sampling period, as well as the sensor noise susceptibility and its ability to handle wind as a random disturbance. The results determined adequate control system parameters for level flight as well as landing the helicopter under ideal conditions. Simulations in which sensor noise and wind were added showed that the control system is significantly affected by sensor noise and that it cannot hover in the presence of wind. A real-time implementation was not achieved during this work; however, several directions for future research have been discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:07:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre Secchin de Melo - parte 1.pdf: 1376671 bytes, checksum: 7504ac977143d6adfd9ac0c7c2bc0d2f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-30 / Este trabalho visa a implementação de um objeto voador não-tripulado, em formato miniatura, com quatro rotores como plataforma de desenvolvimento, como parte de uma pesquisa mais abrangente. O objetivo final, ainda por ser alcançado, é chegar a um veículo voador miniatura com o máximo grau de autonomia de decisões baseadas no sensoreamento a bordo e poder computacional embarcados, estratégia do controle inteligente, e tarefa a cumprir. Tal implemetação, até o momento, consiste em uma máquina eletro-mecânica de baixo custo, cuja parte eletrônica a bordo, um microcontrolador de 8 bits, acelerômetros e giroscópios do tipo MEMS, permite a implementação de um controlador de voo genérico para automatizar a sua estabilização em torno dos eixos X, Y e Z. Tem vasta gama de aplicações como: inspeções aéreas em diversos ambientes, como linhas de transmissão elétrica, detecção de foragidos da polícia, monitoramento de plantações e rebanhos, bem como tomadas de filmagens para as indústrias cinematográfica e imobiliária. Testes realizados com o protótipo até agora sugerem a implementação bem sucedida de um controlador de estabilização de voo / This work aims the implementation of a unmanned, four-rotor miniature flying machine as a development platform, part of a long term research. The final goal, yet to be achieved, is the realization of a flying object with maximum practicable degree of autonomous decisions based on the on-board sensory and computational power, control strategy and assigned task. Up to this work, it consists of a low cost electro-mechanical hardware, whose electronic part allows the implementation of an 8-bit microcontroller-based, MEMS accelerometer and gyroscopes, allows the implementation of a generic fly control for attitude stabilization. The broad spectrum of applications includes: the inspection of various kinds of environments such as electric power transmission lines, police surveillance of woods and hard-to-reach places with sky sight for fugitive detection, crops and herd monitoring, as well as film takings for the cinematographic and real estate industries. Tests undertaking so far with the prototype suggest the successful implementation of a fly attitude controller

Thesis (M.S.)--Air Force Institute of Technology, 2005. / "September 2005" Also available as a PDF file on the Air Force Institute of Technlogy website.

This Open Platform for Limit Protection guides the open design of maneuver limit protection systems in general, and manned, rotorcraft, aerospace applications in particular. The platform uses three stages of limit protection modules: limit cue creation, limit cue arbitration, and control system interface. A common set of limit cue modules provides commands that can include constraints, alerts, transfer functions, and friction. An arbitration module selects the best limit protection cues and distributes them to the most appropriate control path interface. This platform adopts a holistic approach to limit protection whereby it considers all potential interface points, including the pilots visual, aural, and tactile displays; and automatic command restraint shaping for autonomous limit protection. For each functional module, this thesis guides the control system designer through the design choices and information interfaces among the modules. Limit cue module design choices include type of prediction, prediction mechanism, method of critical control calculation, and type of limit cue. Special consideration is given to the nature of the limit, particularly the level of knowledge about it, and the ramifications for limit protection design, especially with respect to intelligent control methods such as fuzzy inference systems and neural networks. The Open Platform for Limit Protection reduces the effort required for initial limit protection design by defining a practical structure that still allows considerable design freedom. The platform reduces lifecycle effort through its open engineering systems approach of decoupled, modular design and standardized information interfaces. Using the Open Platform for Limit Protection, a carefree maneuver system is designed that addresses: main rotor blade stall as a steady-state limit; hub moment as a transient structural limit; and pilot induced oscillation as a controllability limit. The limit cue modules in this system make use of static neural networks, adaptive neural networks, and fuzzy inference systems to predict these limits. Visual (heads up display) and tactile (force-feedback) limit cues are employed. The carefree maneuver system is demonstrated in manned simulation using a General Helicopter (GENHEL) math model of the UH-60 Black Hawk, a projected, 53 degree field of view for the pilot, and a two-axis, active sidestick for cyclic control.

In this work we investigate the use of state-of-the-art tools for the regulation of complex, non-linear systems to improve the methodologies currently applied to trim comprehensive virtual prototypes of rotors and rotorcrafts. Among the several methods that have been proposed in the literature, the auto-pilot approach has the potential to solve trim problems efficiently even for the large and complex vehicle models of modern comprehensive finite element-based analysis codes. In this approach, the trim condition is obtained by adjusting the controls so as to virtually ``fly' the system to the final steady (periodic) flight condition. Published proportional auto-pilots show to work well in many practical instances. However, they cannot guarantee good performance and stability in all flight conditions of interest. Limit-cycle oscillations in control time histories are often observed in practice because of the non-linear nature of the problem and the difficulties in enforcing the constant-in-time condition for the controls. To address all the above areas of concern, in this research we propose a new auto-pilot, based on non-linear model-predictive control (NMPC). The formulation uses a non-linear reference model of the system augmented with an adaptive neural element, which identifies and corrects the mismatch between reduced model and controlled system. The methodology is tested on the wind-tunnel trim of a rotor multibody model and compared to an existing implementation of a classic auto-pilot. The proposed controller shows good performance without the need of a potentially very expensive tuning phase, which is required in classical auto-pilots. Moreover, model-predictive control provides a framework for guaranteeing stability of the non-linear closed-loop system, so it seems to be a viable approach for trimming complete rotorcraft comprehensive models in free-flight.

Lead-lag dampers are present in most rotors to provide the required level of damping in all flight conditions. These dampers are a critical component of the rotor system, but they also represent a major source of maintenance cost. In present rotor systems, both hydraulic and elastomeric lead-lag dampers have been used. Hydraulic dampers are complex mechanical components that require hydraulic fluids and have high associated maintenance costs. Elastomeric dampers are conceptually simpler and provide a ``dry" rotor, but are rather costly. Furthermore, their damping characteristics can degrade with time without showing external signs of failure. Hence, the dampers must be replaced on a regular basis. A semi-active friction based lead-lag damper is proposed as a replacement for hydraulic and elastomeric dampers. Damping is provided by optimized energy dissipation due to frictional forces in semi-active joints. An actuator in the joint modulates the normal force that controls energy dissipation at the frictional interfaces, resulting in large hysteretic loops. Various selective damping strategies are developed and tested for a simple system containing two different frequency modes in its response, one of which needs to be damped out. The system reflects the situation encountered in rotor response where 1P excitation is present along with the potentially unstable regressive lag motion. Simulation of the system response is obtained to compare their effectiveness. Next, a control law governing the actuation in the lag damper is designed to generate the desired level of damping for performing adaptive selective damping of individual blade lag motion. Further, conceptual design of a piezoelectric friction based lag damper for a full-scale rotor is presented and various factors affecting size, design and maintenance cost, damping capacity, and power requirements of the damper are discussed. The selective semi-active damping strategy is then studied in the context of classical ground resonance problem. In view of the inherent nonlinearity in the system due to friction phenomena, multiblade transformation from rotating frame to nonrotating frame is not useful. Stability analysis of the system is performed in the rotating frame to gain an understanding of the dynamic characteristics of rotor system with attached semi-active friction based lag dampers. This investigation is extended to the ground resonance stability analysis of a comprehensive UH-60 model within the framework of finite element based multibody dynamics formulations. Simulations are conducted to study the performance of several integrated lag dampers ranging from passive to semi-active ones with varying levels of selectivity. Stability analysis is performed for a nominal range of rotor speeds using Prony's method.

The thesis presents a framework for integrating models, simulation, and experimental data to diagnose incipient failure modes and prognosticate the remaining useful life of critical components, with an application to the main transmission of a helicopter. Although the helicopter example is used to illustrate the methodology presented, by appropriately adapting modules, the architecture can be applied to a variety of similar engineering systems. Models of the kind referenced are commonly referred to in the literature as physical or physics-based models. Such models utilize a mathematical description of some of the natural laws that govern system behaviors. The methodology presented considers separately the aspects of diagnosis and prognosis of engineering systems, but a similar generic framework is proposed for both. The methodology is tested and validated through comparison of results to data from experiments carried out on helicopters in operation and a test cell employing a prototypical helicopter gearbox. Two kinds of experiments have been used. The first one retrieved vibration data from several healthy and faulted aircraft transmissions in operation. The second is a seeded-fault damage-progression test providing gearbox vibration data and ground truth data of increasing crack lengths. For both kinds of experiments, vibration data were collected through a number of accelerometers mounted on the frame of the transmission gearbox. The applied architecture consists of modules with such key elements as the modeling of vibration signatures, extraction of descriptive vibratory features, finite element analysis of a gearbox component, and characterization of fracture progression. Contributions of the thesis include: (1) generic model-based fault diagnosis and failure prognosis methodologies, readily applicable to a dynamic large-scale mechanical system; (2) the characterization of the vibration signals of a class of complex rotary systems through model-based techniques; (3) a reverse engineering approach for fault identification using simulated vibration data; (4) the utilization of models of a faulted planetary gear transmission to classify descriptive system parameters either as fault-sensitive or fault-insensitive; and (5) guidelines for the integration of the model-based diagnosis and prognosis architectures into prognostic algorithms aimed at determining the remaining useful life of failing components.

Helicopters are versatile vehicles that can vertically take off and land, hover, and perform maneuver at very low forward speeds. These characteristics make them unique for a number of civilian and military applications. However, the radial and azimuthal variation of dynamic pressure causes rotors to experience adverse phenomena such as transonic shocks and 3-D dynamic stall. Adverse interactions such as blade vortex interaction and rotor-airframe interaction may also occur. These phenomena contribute to noise and vibrations. Finally, in the event of an engine failure, rotorcraft tends to descend at high vertical velocities causing structural damage and loss of lives. A variety of techniques have been proposed for reducing the noise and vibrations. These techniques include on-board control (OBC) devices, individual blade control (IBC), and higher harmonic control (HHC). Addition of these devices adds to the weight, cost, and complexity of the rotor system, and reduces the reliability of operations. Simpler OBC concepts will greatly alleviate these drawbacks and enhance the operating envelope of vehicles. In this study, the use of Gurney flaps is explored as an OBC concept using a physics based approach. A three dimensional Navier-Stokes solver developed by the present investigator is coupled to an existing free wake model of the wake structure. The method is further enhanced for modeling of Blade-Vortex-Interactions (BVI). Loose coupling with an existing comprehensive structural dynamics analysis solver (DYMORE) is implemented for the purpose of rotor trim and modeling of aeroelastic effects. Results are presented for Gurney flaps as an OBC concept for improvements in autorotation, rotor vibration reduction, and BVI characteristics. As a representative rotor, the HART-II model rotor is used. It is found that the Gurney flap increases propulsive force in the driving region while the drag force is increased in the driven region. It is concluded that the deployable Gurney flap may improve autorotation characteristics if deployed only over the driving region. Although the net effect of the increased propulsive and drag force results in a faster descent rate when the trim state is maintained for identical thrust, it is found that permanently deployed Gurney flaps with fixed control settings may be useful in flare operations before landing by increasing thrust and lowering the descent rate. The potential of deployable Gurney flap is demonstrated for rotor vibration reduction. The 4P harmonic of the vertical vibratory load is reduced by 80% or more, while maintaining the trim state. The 4P and 8P harmonic loads are successfully suppressed simultaneously using individually controlled multi-segmented flaps. Finally, simulations aimed at BVI avoidance using deployable Gurney flaps are also presented.