TR4EMACS, four test benches that realistically reproduce flight conditions on the ground.

Ceit, Cetest, and Airbus participate in the European project TR4EMACS, which has developed four test benches that make it possible to reproduce on the ground, under realistic flight conditions, tests linked to the mechanical and electrical performance of actuators and control units.

During the last decades, many investigations have been carried out to replace the hydraulic actuation of aircraft by using electrical equipment. Within the framework of the European Clean Sky 2 program, the TR4EMACS project was born in 2017, in which the Ceit Technology Center and the testing and analysis company Cetest participate, together with Airbus as Topic Manager.

The project has developed four modular and flexible test benches that make it possible to reproduce on the ground, with realistic flight conditions, and tests linked to the mechanical and electrical performance of eight electromechanical actuators and their corresponding control units.

These test benches make it possible to analyze the aileron, spoiler, winglet, and flap-tab actuators of both wings of an aircraft (left and right). It is a modular and scalable design that allows optimal integration of equipment and a detailed analysis of each subsystem. In addition, two modes of operation have been implemented to maximize the number of test analyses: stand-alone (connecting the actuators to industrial power supplies) and integrated (connecting the actuators to existing electrical distribution equipment on the aircraft itself).

In addition, these test benches will make it possible to achieve a great reduction in costs and a considerable advance in guaranteeing the reliability of parts, electrical installations, wing control surfaces and other types of aircraft equipment by being able to test them in extreme conditions without put human lives at risk.