Optimization Method for the Control Law of an Electrical Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator Operating at Low Temperatures

Electrical trimmable horizontal stabilizer actuator (THSA) is a special redundant type of electromechanical actuators (EMA) used for pitch trim in the latest more electric aircraft. It has critical functions and its performance is degraded under extreme operating conditions. This communication proposes a method to optimize the control law of electric THSA to meet the servo control requirements at low temperatures due to various system parameters. The thermal effects of motor winding resistance, permanent magnet flux and mechanical friction were considered in the virtual prototype implemented in the Siemens-AMESim simulation platform. The differential evolution algorithm is used to identify parameters and optimize control laws. A low-temperature experimental rig is built to verify the effectiveness of the optimization method. The results show the good tracking performance and dynamics of control of the electrical THSA at low temperatures.