Experimental Study on the Break-In Process of a Differential Redundant Actuation System Based on the Rudder Loop Load Simulation Platform

The break-in operation of the brake unit of a differential redundant actuation system is of considerable importance to improve its reliability and safety. However, the operation will generate a large impact on the driven load, which may cause damage to the load, and hence, it needs to be analyzed in detail. In this study, we first analyzed in detail the different working modes of a differential redundant actuation system and their dynamic characteristics during the break-in process. Subsequently, a dedicated offline test platform for the load simulation of the actuation system was designed to simulate rudders, i.e., the main type of load for such an actuation system. The test platform was used to perform experimental testing on the impact characteristics of the break-in process on the load under different working modes of the actuation system, and the relevant test data were obtained and evaluated accordingly. The experimental results show that, when the differential redundant actuation system is in a multiple-degrees-of-freedom state with a single input and multiple outputs, the break-in process of the brake unit has the smallest impact on the load; furthermore, when the backup channel of the differential redundant actuation system is in a locked state, the break-in process of the brake unit has the largest impact on the load.