Method for estimating the play in an electromechanical actuator

• Main Authors: Mansouri, Badr, Piaton, Jerome, Guyamier, Alexandre
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.03.2020
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; BLASTING; BRAKES; CLUTCHES; COSMONAUTICS; COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING ORREPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLYADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFTCOMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEATING; HELICOPTERS; LIGHTING; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

A method is provided for characterizing the amplitude of play in an electromechanical actuator comprising an electric motor, a movable element, an upstream sensor, a downstream sensor, and a force sensor. The method includes steps of measuring the position of the motor, the position of the movable element and the load applied to the movable element using the three sensors. On the basis of a computer model of the actuator and of the measurements, a value of the amount of mechanical play is estimated using a state observer considering the play to be a state component. The amplitude of the play is determined from a set of values of the dynamic variable obtained in the preceding step at various times.