Tethered payload motion control using magnetorheological actuators for aerial vehicles

使用磁流变执行器对飞行器进行系留有效负载运动控制

• 批准号: 517948-2017
• 负责人: Rancourt, David
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: Université de Sherbrooke
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=662983
• 关键词: Tethered; payload; motion; control; using

Slung loads have been use for decades on conventional helicopter to lift heavy payloads, or large payloads that cannot fit inside the fuselage. The payloads are usually attached to a single hook underneath the helicopter fuselage, near the rotor thrust axis. External loads attached to rotary-wing aircraft can pose significant challenges to the pilot or the automated control system. First, instabilities can occur at high speed for light payloads or for bluff bodies, such as a canoe, or solar panels. Second, the dynamic motion of a payload well below the fuselage ("long lines") can be complex for a pilot to control manually without inducing long period oscillations. More recently, a gain in interest for slung loads has been seen from the unmanned aircraft (UAV) industry for the package delivery, where there is a need to drop a payload without the need to land. Since light payloads are more likely to be affected by wind gusts, those challenges should be more prevalent to UAV-scale aircraft than full-size helicopters. One approach to control the payload motion is to couple the dynamics of the two rigid bodies. Multiple tethers could be attached to the nose or tail of the helicopter. Such approach has been proposed, but helicopters and UAVs have very limited external forces (and moment) that can be applied safely, and any changes should be smooth. Due to the conventional control in position from mechanical winches (in series to the tethers) the risk associated with this approach exceed the potential benefits. This research aims at assessing the feasibility of using magneto-rheological (MR) actuators as the technology enabler to provide active payload motion control both for full-scale helicopters and UAV-size aircraft. MR actuators show great potential since they are controlled in tension (or torque), have a frequency response in the order of 50 Hz, and naturally can filter the rapid changes in forces. Both numerical and physical experiments are planned. This research projet will benefit Canada as it will provide new business opportunities for the Canadian company Exonetik, which aims at commercializing the products based on the research results in the coming years.************************************************

几十年来，传统直升机一直使用悬挂载荷来提升沉重的有效载荷，或无法装入机身的大型有效载荷。有效载荷通常连接到直升机机身下方靠近旋翼推力轴的一个钩子上。旋转翼飞机的外部载荷会对飞行员或自动控制系统构成重大挑战。首先，对于轻型有效载荷或海崖体（例如独木舟或太阳能电池板），高速时可能会发生不稳定性。第二，在机身下方的有效载荷的动态运动（“长线”）对于飞行员手动控制而不引起长周期振荡来说可能是复杂的。最近，已经从无人驾驶飞行器（UAV）行业中看到了对悬挂载荷的兴趣的增加，无人驾驶飞行器（UAV）行业用于包裹递送，其中需要在不需要着陆的情况下投放有效载荷。由于轻型有效载荷更容易受到阵风的影响，这些挑战对无人机飞机来说应该比全尺寸直升机更普遍。控制有效载荷运动的一种方法是耦合两个刚体的动力学。多个系绳可以连接到直升机的机头或机尾。这种方法已经提出，但直升机和无人机具有非常有限的外力（和力矩），可以安全地应用，任何变化都应该是平稳的。由于传统的位置控制来自机械绞盘（与系绳串联），因此与该方法相关的风险超过了潜在的益处。本研究旨在评估使用磁流变（MR）致动器作为技术使能器的可行性，以提供全尺寸直升机和无人机大小的飞机的主动有效载荷运动控制。MR致动器显示出巨大的潜力，因为它们在张力（或扭矩）方面受到控制，具有大约50 Hz的频率响应，并且自然地可以过滤力的快速变化。计划进行数值和物理实验。该研究项目将使加拿大受益，因为它将为加拿大公司Exonetik提供新的商业机会，该公司的目标是在未来几年内将基于研究结果的产品商业化。