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Movement toward more-electric architectures in military and commercial airborne systems has led to electrical power systems (EPSs) with complex power flow dynamics and advanced technologies specifically designed to improve power quality in the system. As such, there is a need for tools that can quickly analyze the impact of technology insertion on the system-level dynamic transient and spectral power quality and assess tradeoffs between impact on power quality versus weight and volume. Traditionally, this type of system level analysis is performed through computationally intensive time-domain simulations involving high fidelity models or left until the hardware fabrication and integration stage. In order to provide a more rapid analysis prior to hardware development and integration, stochastic equivalent circuit analysis is developed that can provide power quality assessment directly in the frequency domain.

A commercial electromechanical actuator (EMA) is to be dynamically tested with predetermined stroke and load profiles for transient thermal and electric power behavior to validate a numerical model used for aerospace applications. The EMA will follow the stroke profile representative of a real aircraft mission duty cycle. A hydraulic press will exert a corresponding load profile onto the EMA. Specialized hydraulic load control methods must be employed to meet the accuracy requirements. Two of these methods are closed-loop linearization (CLL) and displacement induced disturbance cancellation (DIDC). These methods are implemented along with an external PID compensator, and run in real-time in a series of system identification experiments to observe controller performance.

Four application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) which provide sensing, actuation, and power conversion capabilities for distributed control in a high-temperature (over 200°C) environment are presented. Patented circuit design techniques facilitate fabrication in a conventional, low-cost, 0.5 micron bulk Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) foundry process. The four ASICs are combined with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to create a distributed control node. The design and performance over temperature of the control system is discussed. Various applications of the control system are proposed. The authors also discuss various design techniques used to achieve high reliability and long life.