How Simulation is Helping Aerospace Industry

8/2/2019 How Simulation is Helping Aerospace Industry

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How simulation is helping

Aerospace Industry.By

T Girish

08R21A2172


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Highlights

Contribution of Flight simulation towards flightsafety of civil and military air operations.

Evolution of Flight simulation.

Organization of a Flight simulator.

Effectiveness of Flight simulation.

Benefits of Flight simulation. Flight simulation in Research and Development.

Future of flight simulation.


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EVOLUTION

Flight simulators have been used since the earlydays of flying.

Antoinette trainer, was used to introduce pilotsto the disorientation of flight.

In Antoinette simulation, the cockpit was rotated

by assistants and the pilot applied rudimentarycontrol actions.


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The Antoinette flight training simulator:


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..

In the 1930s, Ed Link, who is acknowledged asthe founder of modern-day flight simulation,developed an instrument trainer, based onpneumatic actuation to rotate the cockpit and todrive simulated aircraft instruments.

US Army Air Corps procured several Linktrainers following a number of accidents ininstrument metrological conditions (IMC).


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Ed Link Flight simulator:


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Major Modern simulation

The major developments in flight simulationstarted in the 1960s,initially with the use ofanalogue computers to implement the equationsof motion and subsequently, using digitalcomputers to compute the differential equations

which underpin flight modelling. As computing speeds advanced during the

1980s, detailed flight models were developed forboth civil and military aircraft.


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By the 1980s, nearly all type conversion trainingand recurrent checking for airlines wasundertaken in a flight simulator.

Nowadays, flight simulation is accepted by flightcrews, manufacturers, operators, unions and

regulatory authorities.


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Organisation of Flight Simulator.

A modern civil airline full flight simulator consists ofa cabin where the flight deck is fully replicated,

accommodating the flight crew and the instructor. The cabin is mounted on six hydraulic (or electrical)

actuators and projection systems mounted on thecabin are used to display the scene seen by the flight

crew. For a military simulator, the instructor is usually

located in a control room, communicating via ahead-set, similar to airborne instruction.


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Modern Flight simulator


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Structure of Modern Flight simulator


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The equations of motion, which underpin the flight model of

the simulated aircraft, are the focal point of the simulator. The forces and moments which define aircraft motion are

solved as a set of non-linear differential equations to computethe aircraft motion and trajectory.

These equations are solved by a computer program (typicallyexecuted on a PC) with sufficient accuracy that the simulatormodel faithfully replicates the aircraft motion (linear andangular) throughout the flight envelope. In addition, theequations must be solved at least 50 times per second (every20m/s) so that the resultant aircraft dynamics appear to besmooth and continuous. This constraint of simulation isreferred to as real-time simulation.


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The aerodynamics model contains all the terms

to compute the aerodynamic forces (e.g. lift and

drag) and moments. Weather conditions have a major impact on

flight operations. Turbulence, wind shear, micro-bursts and winds

are modelled together with icing, rain and fogconditions in a weather model, which providesvariables needed in computation of theaerodynamic terms and the engine model.


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The instructor interacts with the simulator via an

instructor station, typically a touch screen with graphical

displays. In a civil flight simulator, the instructor caninject faults, monitor the flight situation, monitor theflight crew and establish flight conditions.

Pilot controls must be accurately modelled in a simulatorto provide tactile feel and appropriate loads.

A data acquisition system captures pilot control inputs atthe simulator frame rate, typically 50-60Hz, accessingseveral hundred analogue and digital inputs for thelevers, switches, push buttons and selectors on the flightdeck.


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The visual system comprises the image generators to

render a real-time scene and the projection system sothat the flight crew see a realistic scene from the flightdeck, containing airports, fields, roads, rivers, lakes andso on.

In a military simulator, the scene is commonly projectedinside a hemi-spherical dome and the projection systemalso enables other aircraft to be displayed with a high

degree of visual accuracy. A dedicated sound system produces the sounds

experienced on the flight deck, for example engine noise,slipstream, aural warnings, air-conditioning and motordrives etc.


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Civil Flight simulation


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Military Flight simulator


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Effectiveness In flight training, the flight simulator is used to

capture and practise skills that can subsequently be

applied in an aircraft. If the training is effective,minimal time is needed to transfer the skill to theaircraft. Alternatively, if it is not effective, additionalairborne training is needed.

Although many early simulators were designed toreplicate the aircraft and its systems as closely aspossible, the emphasis on fidelity can increase thecost of the simulator and may not necessarilyprovide effective training.


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A flight simulation training device (FSTD) is used

for specific training tasks ranging from simple

desktop devices, instruments procedures trainers tonavigation procedures trainers, where the flightcrew can follow a flight plan even though thesimulator will probably lack a motion system, avisual system or even pilot controls.

The results from a number of studies suggest thatthe effectiveness of training is not necessarily linkedto the fidelity (and therefore cost) of the flightsimulator.


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Civil simulation Benefits Airline flight crews must undergo mandatory

training and checking, for which training in anapproved flight simulator is recognised in place ofairborne training.

For an airline with 1,000 pilots, the annual cost oftraining using aircraft would be approximately$60m. Depending on the simulator, the operating

costs are less than one tenth of the operating cost ofan aircraft, indicating the dependence airlines placeon flight simulation.

Further benefits for civil airline training; inparticular, there are significantly less carbon

emissions and no environmental noise.


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Military simulation benefits For military organisations, the combination of

reduced risk to flight crews, public concern over

environmental problems associated with low-flyingand the increasing cost of weapon systems has led tothe armed forces accepting the compelling case forflight simulation.

In particular, engagements with multiple forces andelectronic warfare, if practised in peace-time, canthreaten strategic and tactical secrecy, whereasexercises can be conducted with linked simulatorfacilities.


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Military flight simulator equipmentsMilitary Flight simulator G Seat Head mounted display


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Flight simulation in R&D Flight simulation is now an integral part of aircraft

design. An engineering flight simulator provides

essential insight into system behaviour andperformance. The use of simulation affords two advantages. Firstly, it

is possible to acquire useful data from trials undertakenin a synthetic environment.

Secondly, it enables human factors to be addressed at anearly stage in the programme.

Engineering flight simulation has played an importantpart in many recent aircraft development programmes,including the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 programmes.


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A wide range of synthetic simulation tools are

used covering aerodynamic modelling, structural

analysis, operational analysis, reliability analysisand flight control system design.

Flight simulation offers major advantagesduring the design and development of aircraft

systems, providing detailed analysis of designsand prediction of performance prior to flighttrials and possibly a part of the procurementphase.


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FUTURE OF FLIGHT SIMULATION Flight simulation has been widely adopted by the

aerospace industry, where its benefits have beenrecognised for over 30 years.

Simulation extends to flight control system design,finite element methods used in structural analysis,CFD tools used in aerodynamic analysis and themathematical tools used in operational analysis.

Companies that have used simulation tools haveappreciated the benefits afforded by simulation, inparticular; faster design times, fewer design faults,more effective systems, cost saving and improveddecision making in procurement.


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In order to achieve these advances, lessons learnt from

simulation need to be taken into account. However,consideration needs to be given to the critical role of the

provision of data for simulation. Advances in computer systems used in domestic markets,

particularly computer games and virtual reality will align thistechnology with the computing requirements of flightsimulation. The rendering rates, increased resolution andstorage capacity of these systems will be exploited by

simulation applications. One particular area to benefit from the reduction in the cost of

computing equipment is the university sector, where it ispractical to purchase or develop low-fidelity flight simulatorsto support under-graduate and postgraduate courses.


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CONCLUSION For both civil and military operators, a significant part of

airborne training has been replaced by simulator training. International standards are now in place to ensure

consistency and to provide guidelines for manufacturers,operators and regulators.

Simulation also contributes to reductions in environmentalimpact, by reducing the requirement for airborne training.

In the next few years, the cost of flight simulation equipmentwill continue to fall as commercial off-the-shelf technologiesare exploited to increase capability and to reducedevelopment costs.

Flight simulation is becoming recognised as a major disciplineof aerospace and an innovative contributor to the aerospaceindustry.

How Simulation is Helping Aerospace Industry

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