Model-based approach on test-benches

Challenge

In industrial fields such as aeronautics and automotive, the long chain of subcontracting suppliers impacts product development at different steps.

Manufacturers have to integrate the different subsystems of their complete aircraft or automobile model, and they have to test the mechanical, electrical and software parts in comparison with the results of the simulation.

(image: courtesy of SDI)

The research project AGREGATION, led by the regroupment of Silkan (leading-edge solutions about training simulators, avionics systems, hybrid test benches and design simulation), Scilab Enterprises (Scilab official producer), SDI (test engineering and mechatronics) and the ENSEA ECS-Lab (Dynamic systems control), addressed this issues, thanks to the support of Astech and Systematic cluster and has received funding from Région Île-de-France and Conseil Général du Val d’Oise.

   

Solution

The project AGREGATION aims at providing a turnkey solution for the deployment of mHIL (mechanical Hardware In the Loop) testing resources.

The technological innovations are focused on three main subjects:

  • Parallelization of control command over a distributed heterogeneous architecture of computers connected by a deterministic synchronous network
  • Coordination between a numerical modeling of phenomena and analog controls. 
  • Integration of multiphysical models in mechatronic problems.

Moreover, the solution will allow easy innovative model design based on Scilab XCOS and real-time control through the interface proposed by SDI’s software X’SPARe.

Results

The research project AGREGATION lead to a few scientific publications for ECS-Lab (ENSEA) about system control command based on high order sliding mode and time delay compensation, and about mechatronic component’s transfer function estimation. 

With this work they were able to set up a multiphysical demonstrator (pneumatic and electric) in partnership with the SDI team.

At the same time SDI used those work in order to respond to industrial test benches need such as dynamic simulation during test.