Robust-adaptive active vibration control of alloy and flexible matrix composite rotorcraft drivelines via magnetic bearings: Theory and experiment

This thesis explores the use of Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) technology and newly emerging Flexible Matrix Composite (FMC) materials to advance the state-of-the-art of rotorcraft and other high performance driveline systems. Specifically, two actively controlled tailrotor driveline configurations are explored. The first driveline configuration (Configuration I) consists of a multi-segment alloy driveline connected by Non-Constant-Velocity (NCV) flexible couplings and mounted on non-contact AMB devices. The second configuration (Configuration II) consists of a single piece, rigidly coupled, FMC shaft supported by AMBs. For each driveline configuration, a novel hybrid robust-adaptive vibration control strategy is theoretically developed and experimentally validated based on the specific driveline characteristics and uncertainties. In the case of Configuration I, the control strategy is based on a hybrid design consisting of a PID feedback controller augmented with a slowly adapting, Multi-Harmonic Adaptive Vibration Control (MHAVC) input. Here, the control is developed to ensure robustness with respect to the driveline operating conditions e.g. driveline misalignment, load-torque, shaft speed and shaft imbalance. The analysis shows that the hybrid PID/MHAVC control strategy achieves multi-harmonic suppression of the imbalance, misalignment and load-torque induced driveline vibration over a range of operating conditions. Furthermore, the control law developed for Configuration II is based on a hybrid robust Hinfinity feedback/Synchronous Adaptive Vibration Control (SAVC) strategy. Here, the effects of temperature dependent FMC material properties, rotating-frame damping and shaft imbalance are considered in the control design. The analysis shows that the hybrid Hinfinity/SAVC control strategy guarantees stability, convergence and imbalance vibration suppression under the conditions of bounded temperature deviations and unknown imbalance. Finally, the robustness and vibration suppression performance of both new AMB driveline configurations is experimentally confirmed using a frequency-scaled AMB driveline testrig specifically developed for this research.