A long-term goal for many aircraft types is to reduce or eliminate the use of fluid power systems such as hydraulics or fueldraulics from the aircraft and the engine. This is expected to lead to significant savings in production of the aircraft and in its operating costs. Claverham’s preferred approach is to eliminate fluids altogether and provide pure EMA (Electro-Mechanical Actuation) as this has the potential for lower mass and efficiency than other interim approaches.
The Electro-Mechanical Actuator (EMA) replaces the electrical signalling and power actuation of the electro-hydraulic actuator with an electric motor and gearbox assembly. Claverham is currently providing the cutting-edge E-M flight control actuators on the HEAT (Helicopter Electric Actuation Technology) demonstrator, which incorporates a quadruplex fly-by-wire and power-by-wire system.
TIMES (Totally Integrated More Electric Systems) is a partially government funded programme. Claverham has designed an innovative EMA to fulfil the needs of civil aircraft primary flight controls, in particular large civil aircraft, which will be demonstrated as part of this programme.
Once the technical challenges of providing safe and reliable primary flight control systems using EMA technologies has been proven, the way will open to more extensive use of EMA in various utility actuation sub-systems.