Technical Paper
Digital Optical Based Aircraft Actuator Controller Utilizing SiC Power Switches
2012-10-22
2012-01-2238
This paper presents an investigation into the feasibility of utilizing commercial off the shelf (COTS) components to implement an optically linked embedded electromechanical actuator (EMA) for aircraft flight control. A joint 1990s USAF, USN, NASA Electrically Powered Actuator Design (EPAD) program sought to replace hydraulically powered aircraft actuators with those powered electrically, either Electrohydrostatic (EHA) or Electromechanical (EMA). A follow-on NASA research effort in 1992 sought to then replace the electrical control links associated with the EHA/EMA with fiber-optic technology [1][2]. Attempts at implementing an optically-linked EMA while successful, experienced technical challenges and exposed fundamental limitations and shortfalls in some of the COTS technologies available at that time.
