Load Alleviation Control vs. Load Limiting Control: Pros and Cons.

The development of life extending control schemes is important to ensure the longevity of critical helicopter components. Perhaps, equally important is the ability to choose the appropriate component life extension scheme for a specific application. In this paper, the benefits and drawbacks associated with two control schemes for component life extension are discussed: namely Load Alleviation Control (LAC) and Load Limiting Control (LLC). Understanding such benefits and drawbacks can help to not only motivate future research that will improve these schemes but also in the selection of a suitable scheme for a specific application.