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diff --git a/methodology.tex b/methodology.tex index b6c8231..a55ff00 100644 --- a/methodology.tex +++ b/methodology.tex @@ -8,7 +8,117 @@ \section{General Aircraft System} \section{Configuration One} \subsection{Data Acquisition} + The turboprop engine control unit +(ECU) connects to a laptop-based program. This program outputs +various metrics of the engine and can be used to record data visually. +Unfortunately, the controller area network bus protocol used by the +engine is proprietary and the manufacturer did not provide software +to record data directly. Thus, all engine data was recorded from +video capture of real-time graphical read-out, and figures were +created during postprocessing. +The main data acquisition system consists of three Arduino +Megas. Two of the microcontrollers were utilized to record most of +the sensor inputs. The third Arduino only measures voltage and was +located inside the aircraft with the pilot. The two main boards utilize +the printed circuit boards detailed in Fig. 9. The board was designed +to accommodate the numerous sensors present on the aircraft, +though this paper will focus on the power data because most of the +recorded data was thermistor data and not particularly interesting. +All the specifics of the relevant DAQ components are listed in +Table 2. +The locations of the hall effect current sensors can be seen in the +main electrical system diagram shown in Fig. 5. The aircraft testbed +consists of 2 LEM DHAB S-133 current sensors that can read up to +750-A and are accurate to within 2% of the actual value. They are +located after the generator and before the crowbar circuit. A third +DHAB S-124 current sensor was also used before the battery, and it +can read up to 500-A accurately. This sensor is slightly more +accurate than the S-133 because it has a smaller current rating. The +amount of power expended from the battery was not expected to +exceed 300-A. These three sensors allow for current in the system to +be fully accounted for and monitored. The current sensors are +bidirectional and so can determine the direction electrical current is +flowing. All power production (battery and generator) and power +utilization (battery, wings, and crowbar) can be accurately measured +in real-time. +A voltage divider was utilized to reduce the 120-V to a 5-V range. +This scaled range was then read by the analog port on an Arduino. +For the voltage sensor, a separate dedicated Arduino was used to +allow for an increased response rate and ease of electrical isolation. \subsection{Experimental Procedure} + Before hybrid-power testing +commenced, the system went through a series of preliminary tests to +reduce the technical risk of a full hybrid-power system test. These +tests were important for informing the test matrix design. First, the +turboprop engine was tested to ensure the engine was operating +nominally, before adding the generator [18]. Next, a check run was +performed using only the batteries, ensuring the power system and +electric motors worked properly. The test confirmed that the data +acquisition system and electric motors worked correctly. Before full +system testing commenced, the generator was plugged into the +power system and the engine was slowly brought up to speed to find +the point where the generator voltage exceeded the battery voltage. +During this testing, it was discovered that the generator had a k V of +27 instead of the expected value of 23. +The test procedure for the ground test rig consists of first charging +and balancing the batteries. The batteries are then installed into the +aircraft, with one battery connector left disconnected until just prior +to the test. The aircraft strut is filled with air, the engine oil level is +checked, and the brakes are checked. The aircraft is rolled out of its +hanger and brought to an open field. The aircraft is then secured with +a chain to the ground. The precharge circuit is then activated, and +batteries are plugged into the main bus. The precharge circuit is then +disabled. Two people then get into the aircraft, a pilot and a data +recorder with a laptop. A third person records a video with a fire +extinguisher on standby. The data recorder confirms that all sensors +are working. Then the engine is started and brought to idle. Once the +engine has reached operating temperature and is ready, the pilot +designates the beginning of testing and brings up the throttle to the +test point. The data recorder then brings up the electric motors to +the respective test points. Finally, after the data have been recorded, +the engine is brought down to idle and then turned off. The engine is +cooled, the main power battery is disconnected, and the data are +exported to the laptop hard drive. +The test matrix was designed to accommodate the 27-k V value +generator. If the voltage of the battery is higher than the output +voltage of the generator, then no power is generated and the +generator spins freely. This amounts to an all-electric configuration +in practice if the generator is outputting below the battery voltage. +The output voltage of the generator is around 111.1-V at the +maximum power turbine shaft speed. The minimum battery voltage +that was deemed safe is around 20% of the useful capacity. +This meant that the cell voltage of the batteries was brought down +to 3.81-V per cell. This brought the 28S battery to a total of 106.7-V, +which meant that the generator would only be operating slightly +above the battery voltage. The maximum voltage of the battery at +4.2-V per cell is 117.6-V. This has practical advantages as it makes it +difficult to overcharge the battery if the generator’s output voltage is +less than the total maximum voltage of the battery. The net effect of +the 27-k V generator was that the generator voltage would only +exceed the battery voltage at full throttle. This meant that the full +engine throttle test point was the only engine test point of interest. +The maximum charging current of the battery specified by the +manufacturer is 85-A and should not be exceeded. Based on this +value and the known resistance values of the batteries, Eq. (2) was +used to determine that a voltage difference of 7-V between the +battery and generator would be needed to exceed the maximum +current rating. However, the largest value that the generator could +output was 111.1-V and the minimum battery voltage was 106.7, +which lead to a maximum difference of 4.3-V, which is well below +7-V. In practice, because the maximum RPM is not normally +achieved under normal operation and there is a voltage drop across +the rectifier the full 111.1-V, generator output will not be achieved. +The test matrix in Table 3 was designed to operate at the full +turboprop throttle position. The test procedure was developed to +capture steady and transient data. The engine would be brought up to +idle and then brought to full throttle. The low ESC throttle value was +intended to be around 30-A per motor based on previous electric +tests, with a medium value of around 80-A, and a high value intended +to be around 150-A per motor. Both electric motors are brought up to +a low value and then held for 5-s, before moving to the next value and +holding it for 5-s as well. The result provided data at different +relatively steady conditions, as well as the transient reaction of the +electromechanical system to changes in the electrical load. \section{Configuration Two} \subsection{Data Acquisition} - \subsection{Experimental Procedure}
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