PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A SMART ACTUATOR FOR AIRCRAFT TURBINE ENGINES

PROPOSES TO CONDUCT PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A "SMART ACTUATOR" FOR APPLICATION ON AIRCRAFT GAS TURBINE ENGINES. FOR THIS PROPOSAL, A SMART ACTUATOR IS DEFINED AS ONE THAT IS CO-PACKAGED WITH AN ELECTRONICS MODULE THAT PROVIDES CONTROL SIGNAL COMPENSATION AND CONTROL LOOP CLOSURE DIRECTLY AT THE SOURCE. A TYPICAL ACTUATOR WOULD CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) ELECTRIC, HYDRAULIC OR PENUMATIC MOVEMENT OR FORCE GENERATOR. (2) ELECTRONIC MICRO-CONTROLLER. (3) FEEDBACK MECHANISM FOR CONTROL LOOP CLOSURE. (4) ELECTRONIC/FIBER-OPTIC INTERFACING DEVICE. (5) CONTROL, FEEDBACK AND SELF-DIAGNOSIS SOFTWARE ALGORITHMS. THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING PHASE I: (1) BASIC RESEARCH TO ACCURATELY ESTABLISH OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF A TYPICAL GAS TURBINE ACTUATOR. (2) BASIC RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY LATEST ADVANCES IN HIGH TEMPERATURE MICRO-ELECTRONIC AND FIBER-OPTIC TECHNOLOGY. (3) PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF AN AUTONOMOUS, CO-PACKAGED ACTUATOR SYSTEM INCORPORATING HIGH TEMPERATURE ELECTRONIC AND FIBER-OPTIC TECHNOLOGY. (4) PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT OF SOFTWARE ALGORITHMS FOR FEEDBACK, SENSORY INPUT COMPENSATION AND SELF-TEST. (5) DEVELOPMENT OF A PROGRAM AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PHASE II.