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    Briere

    Uploaded by

    Ebrahim Ahmari

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Overview on Airbus Fly-by-Wire Status

    Dominique BRIERE
    EADS AIRBUS SA
    Route de Bayonne 316
    F- 31059 Toulouse
    Tel: +33.5.61.938.882 Fax: +33.5.61.939.410
    [email protected]

    Where are we?

    From the A320 first flight (the first member of the family) on February 1988, more than 20
    millions of flight hours aircraft have been cumulated by about 150 airlines operating the 1635
    delivered Airbus fly by wire aircraft (reference: end of august 2000). These figures are rapidly
    growing, delivery rate being more than 20 aircraft/month for the short/medium range
    A319/A320/A321 and more than 6 aircraft/month for the long range A330/A340 family.

    So, Airbus fly-by-wire is now a wide family that may be considered as a legitimate reference
    for transport aircraft flight control system. Its main characteristics are recalled hereafter:

    •= Lateral side-sticks, with constant feel force


    •= Enhanced control laws and flight envelope protections: aircraft response is "slaved" to
    pilot orders.
    •= Redundant and dissimilar fail-safe computers performing the entire fly - by- wire functions
    including servo-control command and monitoring.
    •= Ultimate mechanical back up by rudder and THSA. On A330/A340, yaw damper is
    available in ultimate back-up mode.

    What are we developing now?

    The following new aircraft are under development and will be soon added to the family, their
    first flight being scheduled in 2001 and entry into service in 2002:

    A318, the shorter "single aisle". No change on fly-by-wire system definition, except software
    adaptation for control law adjustment

    A340 500/600: they are derived from the actual A340, but with longer fuselage and larger
    wing area in order to extend capacity and range. First structural mode frequencies are
    consequently decreased, both on longitudinal and lateral axis, and close to handling qualities
    modes. The main following evolutions of fly-by-wire system have been decided in order to
    maintain good handling qualities and passenger comfort

    •= Control laws are designed to simultaneously control handling quality mode and low
    frequency structural mode.
    •= On rudder axis, fly-by-wire orders are directly sent to electrically signaled servo-control.
    Rudder mechanical control is fully suppressed and an ultimate electrical back up is
    added. This last one is strongly segregated from the fly-by-wire computers and aircraft
    electrical network
    •= Inner auto- pilot loop is located in the fly-by-wire computers to reduce transmission delay
    from AP order to servo-control.

    What are we preparing?


    Next step should be the development of the Very Large Aircraft A380 and the four propellers
    military transport aircraft A400-M. Both types of aircraft will benefit of the Airbus fly by wire
    main features.
    In addition, the following evolutions are scheduled:

    •= Electrically powered actuators (EHA) are introduced on the 3 axis, in addition to regular
    hydraulically powered servo - control. Airbus has launched a research program on this
    new type of electrically powered actuator in the 80's and successfully flight-tested several
    prototypes from 1992. This program has been supported by EPICA and ELISA, two
    projects funded by the European community.

    Compared to conventional servo - control, EHA provides the following main benefits:

    - Aircraft safety level is improved:

    - an electrical circuit may be installed in areas not suitable for hydraulic circuits and
    may be more segregated from the remaining circuits that the one it replaces.
    Survivability to peculiar hazard such as engine burst is consequently improved
    - aircraft remains controllable if a common failure mode affect all the hydraulic circuits
    - with an electrical circuit, only "downstream" equipment are lost in the case of circuit
    rupture

    - Aircraft weight, reliability, production cost and maintenance cost are reduced by
    removing one hydraulic circuit and all its components (pumps, reservoirs, pipes ,
    selectors). This result has being assessed whatever the aircraft size from a 100 seater to
    the A380.

    •= THSA remaining mechanical control will be removed and replaced by an ultimate


    electrical back up on pitch axis. This is the last stage of an evolution leading
    progressively to suppress all the mechanical linkages and associated servomotors.

    •= On A380, pitch damper will be permanently provided, including in ultimate back-up mode
    (as already yaw damper on LR family), that allows a more rearwards CG margin. So,
    THS may be accordingly sized and less "downwards" lift needed. This gives additional
    aircraft weight and drag saving.

    What are the future trends?

    The following way of progress have been already identified

    - electrical actuator component standardization, evaluation of electrical motor new


    technologies
    - passenger comfort and safety improvement in case of turbulence
    - aircraft on ground control improvement
    - auto-pilot availability and efficiency enhancement
    - impact on flight control of new A/C configuration, such as V tail or flying wing

    To conclude, A380 and A400-M will become now the reference for any future Airbus project.
    As shown here above, new and mature technologies have been embodied "step per step" in
    the Airbus family in order to cope with new aircraft characteristics, to reduce A/C cost and
    weight, to improve passenger comfort and safety while maintaining basic Airbus fly by wire
    principle. This progressive and successful " way of progress " has been prepared by
    research program such as ELISA and EPICA for EHA and should be maintained in the
    future.

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