A peak-seeking control algorithm for real-time trim optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control algorithm is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an F/A-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) are used for optimization of fuel flow. Results from six research flights are presented herein. The optimization algorithm found a trim configuration that required approximately 3 percent less fuel flow than the baseline trim at the same flight condition. The algorithm consistently rediscovered the solution from several initial conditions. These results show that the algorithm has good performance in a relevant environment.


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    Title :

    Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-Test Results


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2013


    Size :

    35 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-Test Results

    Brown, Nelson Andrew / Schaefer, Jacob Robert | NTRS | 2013




    Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-test Results

    Brown, Nelson Andrew / Schaefer, Jacob Robert | NTRS | 2013


    Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-Test Results (AIAA 2013-5171)

    Brown, N.A. / Schaefer, J.R. / American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2013