Development of Real-Time Models of Electromechanical Actuators for a Hybrid Iron Bird of a Regional Aircraft

This study presents the development of a real-time simulation model for electromechanical actuators tailored to a hybrid iron bird for next-generation regional turboprop aircraft. This iron bird is aimed at integrating real and virtual components, enabling advanced validation of flight control systems while balancing risk and cost. The mathematical models of actuators needed for the development and operation of the iron bird must comply with stringent requirements, especially in terms of computational cost. A novel two-step iterative methodology is proposed, combining bottom-up and top-down approaches. This process begins with simplified low-fidelity models. Then, the models are incrementally refined to capture complex dynamics while maintaining computational efficiency. Using the proposed approach, the computational time of the real-time model remained almost unvaried and consistent with the sampling frequency, while the number of state variables and the range of described phenomena grew significantly. The real-time model is validated against simulated data from a reference high-fidelity model and experimental data, achieving excellent agreement while reducing the computational time by 93%. The enhanced model incorporates selected failure modes equivalent models regarding the electric motor, power drive unit, and mechanical transmission, supporting possible future prognostics and health management (PHM) applications. These results showcase a scalable solution for integrating electromechanical actuation in modern aerospace systems, paving the way for full virtual iron birds and greener aviation technologies.