Trade-off between Maneuver Performance and Component Load Limiting

In this paper, two competing model predictive component load limiting control (LLC) architectures, viz., command limiting and control limiting, are developed and evaluated for performance in nonlinear model simulations. Reduced order time invariant linear models of coupled body-rotor-inflow dynamics are used for real-time prediction of rotor system component harmonic loads. The trade-off between maneuver performance and component load limiting is compared between the proposed command limiting architecture and a previously studied control limiting architecture. Nonlinear simulation results show that the maneuver performance degradation in the presence of component load limiting with a command limiting architecture is less severe when compared with a control limiting architecture.