GLAMOUR

GLAMOUR aimed at demonstrating the performance of the wing designed for the Green Regional Aircraft (GRA), one of the six Clean Sky platforms, which combines Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) and an aggressive combination of manoeuvre (MLA) and gust load alleviation (GLA) technologies.

The GLAMOUR project, completed successfully, tackled this topic in two different ways: at first by investigating different control strategies among Static Output Feedback, Neural Networks, Robust Model Predictive Control techniques, as well as Local Direct Control, and then by conducting an extended experimental validation campaign at the GVPM, the Wind Tunnel available at Politecnico di Milano, in turbulent air conditions.

The GLAMOUR project resulted significantly challenging for two several reasons: first the complexity of the model to be tested, i.e. a complete aeroelastic model, fully instrumented to measure the relevant aeroelastic responses (accelerations, displacements, section loads, actuation forces) by means of embedded sensors and equipped with different control surfaces; then the test conditions to be investigated, to allow for a deep validation of proposed MLS and GLA concepts in a very realistic flight environment, in turbulent conditions.

For this purpose, a gust generator for wind tunnel has been designed, manufactured and installed in the WT. The main design requirement for the gust generator was to generate gust speeds which complied with the A/C certification regulation for Large Aeroplanes EASA CS-25.

The adopted configuration, developed and finally designed by IBK and POLIMI in strict cooperation, is based on six vanes actuated by electric linear motors. The figure shows the 3D electronic mock-up and the final implementation into the low speed large WT GVPM.

A large wind tunnel half aircraft model properly scaled was manufactured and tested in a free-free configuration allowing to validate MLA and GLA techniques based on coupling wing and tailplane based control surfaces under gust excitation. Aiming at this goal, a dedicated gust generator was designed, manufactured and installed into the wind tunnel.

The GLAMOUR consortium was setup by joining well recognized and very experienced companies and universities: apart from IBK and POLIMI, University of Bristol, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and Revoind Industriale contributed to the project success.

IBK strongly contributed to Gust Generators and WT model designs, and gave support to POLIMI during WT tests.

The following partners are part of GLAMOUR:

  • POLIMI coordinated the project, performed the preliminary design of Gust Generators and WT model, developed control-laws and led the WT model manufacturing and test campaign.
  • REVOIND manufactured the WT model
  • Technion assessed and optimized the pre-assigned control laws
  • UOB development of alternative control laws and supported the WT test campaign
  • IBK designed Gust Generators and WT model, performed the detail design of the WT model and supported the WT test campaign

The project lasted 34 months; kick-off 01/02/2014

The GLAMOUR project has received funding from the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s FP7 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 620084