The trend of moving towards model-based design and analysis of new and upgraded
aircraft platforms requires integrated component and subsystem models. To
support integrated system trades and design studies, these models must satisfy
modeling and performance guidelines regarding interfaces, implementation,
verification, and validation. As part of the Air Force Research Laboratory's
(AFRL) Integrated Vehicle and Energy Technology (INVENT) Program, standardized
modeling and performance guidelines have been established and documented in the
Modeling Requirement and Implementation Plan (MRIP). Although these guidelines
address interfaces and suggested implementation approaches, system integration
challenges remain with respect to computational stability and predicted
performance over the entire operating region for a given component.
This paper discusses standardized model evaluation tools aimed to address these
challenges at a component/subsystem level prior to system integration. These
tools are analogous to component hardware acceptance testing, allow impartial
and qualitative assessment of component models, and assist in determining if a
component model could be successfully integrated in a subsystem- or
platform-wide simulation. Further, the results provide an impartial comparison
between similar components of different suppliers.
Within INVENT, model evaluation tools have been developed for the
high-performance electromechanical actuator system (HPEAS) and the robust
electrical power system (REPS). The evaluation tools have been implemented in
Matlab/Simulink. The tools provide a straightforward approach for engineers with
minimal simulation experience to run, evaluate, and compare models. In this
paper, the general approach to the development of these tools is described.
Implementation details such as capabilities and underlying algorithms are
discussed and example results for representative models are presented. The
intent of the paper is to provide the reader with an exposure to standardized
model evaluation and to provide an approach or path to setup and execute such
evaluations for any component and subsystem model.