Embraer selects simulation tool for aircraft control systems design

Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A) an aerospace company with 34 years of experience designing, developing, manufacturing, selling and providing after-sales support to aircraft for the global airline, defense, and corporate markets, has selected Opal-RT Technologies ‘ RT-LAB engineering simulators for use in the design and simulation of fly-by-wire control systems for Embraer’s next generation of regional jets.

Opal-RT provides software, hardware, and related solutions for real-time simulation applications. Embraer’s decision to use RT-LAB follows its successful use of the simulators for hard-real-time execution of systems models for the new Embraer 170 jet, created using Simulink. Embraer will now employ RT-LAB engineering simulators at additional stages throughout the overall design process, including ”Iron Bird” and ”aircraft-in-the-loop” testing.

Embraer’s Iron Bird test facility is used for development, troubleshooting, verification and validation of all the electromechanical, hydraulic systems, and their respective controllers for certification. The challenge in the past, when conducting Iron Bird simulations, was an inability to enable all control systems in an integrated fashion. Using RT-LAB, Embraer engineers are able to provide meaningful simulation of inter-dependent systems under simulated flight conditions. In addition, RT-LAB simulators can be inserted into the avionics bus of a real aircraft used for ”aircraft-in-the-loop” testing, simulating the force effects of an actual test flight and tricking the grounded aircraft into behaving as if it is flying, providing a means to test and calibrate fly-by-wire systems prior to the actual test flight.

The decision by Embraer to use RT-LAB is part of the company’s virtual prototyping strategy which is expected to reduce the overall development time for the company’s next generation of regional jets from over 5 years to just over 3 years.

—David Greenfield, Editorial Director, Control Engineering, dgreenfield@reedbusiness.com

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