Aileron Actuation System, Hydraulic Variant
This example models an actuation system for an aileron. The mechanical model was imported from CAD. Different variants model hydraulic and electric actuation systems so that their performance can be compared at the system level.
The hydraulic variant is described here, and the electric variant is described here.
Contents
Model

Mechanical Subsystem
The mechanical model of the aileron was created in a CAD system. That CAD model was imported into Simscape Multibody, including the joints.

Aileron_Att_1 Subsystem
This subsystem shows the aileron and all of brackets that attach to the actuation system. All rigidly attached parts are treated as a single part during dynamic simulation, so the vast number of screws and bolts do not impact the run time of the simulation.

Actuator Subsystem
Different variants enable different tests to be run within the same system level model. The Motion variant prescribes the motion profile of the aileron and the simulation determines how much force is required to achieve that motion. The Ideal variant can be tuned to reflect the behavior of a specific design. The Hydraulic variant includes 3 double-acting hydraulic cylinders on a single hydraulic network. The Electric variant contains three leadscrews on a single electrical network.

Motion Actuation Subsystem
This subsystem calculates the force required for the aileron to follow a motion profile. The desired angle is converted to actuator extension using a polynomial calculated using the Curve Fitting Toolbox. Simscape Multibody performs an inverse dynamics simulation to determine the force required to produce this motion. Simulating with this variant helps determines the requirements for the actuation system.

Hydraulic Actuation Subsystem
This subsystem models a hydraulic actuation system for the aileron. Three double-acting cylinders extend and contract to move the aileron to the desired angle. Four-way directional valves adjust the flow of hydraulic fluid to the cylinders, and position of the valve spool is controlled by control system.

Simulation Results from Simscape Logging
The plot below shows the actuator force required to follow the desired trajectory.

The plots below compare the performance of the hydraulic and electric designs with the desired performance.
