Power Control Unit, Hydraulic - Specification

To better understand power control units (PCUs) and what is involved in their design this module
presents typical specification requirements for a PCU. Features and components contained
within a PCU are driven from the requirements. The following list should be considered when
designing a PCU.

Geometric
• Envelope (examine movement throughout full range of stroke)
• Location of output ram
• Stroke
• Kinematics (between PCU and surface)
• Location of electrical connectors
• Location of hydraulic connectors
• Ability to conduct maintenance without component removal
• Rod end connections and rigging
• Mounting lug(s) location

Performance
• Actuator rate
o Unloaded and loaded
o Extending and Retracting
• Actuator loads (in both directions)
• Hydraulic supply characteristics (pressure, temperature, fluid cleanliness)
• Maximum hydraulic leakage
• Thermal/Pressure relief setting
• Servovalve parameters (linearity, threshold, etc – see Servovalve, Hydraulic -
Description)
• Freeplay
• Stiffness
• Positional Accuracy
• Bottoming loads (when hitting mechanical end stops)

Loads (Static and Fatigue)

• Maximum operating load
• Limit load (1.10 X maximum operating load)
• Ultimate load (1.50 X limit load)
 • Fatigue Spectrum (defined by duty cycles which contains # of cycles plus loads, stroke
and rate for each cycle). Duty cycle will be different for each flight phase. The best way
to define a duty cycle is a from a conservative complete flight profile.

Mode Control / Logic

Does the actuator need to have different operating modes? For a PCU, the answer is usually
yes; otherwise, a servovalve is sufficient. There will always be the normal operating mode. Other
operating modes could occur with
• Loss of hydraulic pressure
• Failure of servo valve
• Failure of a position sensor
• Jammed servo
• Jammed actuator
• Failure of another PCU on the same surface
• Failure of a electronic controller
• Failure of a sensor (such as LVDT)
Also, there may be two or more different performance normal operating modes for the PCU. For
example, there may be different modes for air and ground operation.
The different operating modes will generally lead to a large number of requirements for a PCU.
Obviously, the definition of each mode and when to switch between modes will need to be
defined in a specification. Performance levels for each mode will also need to be specified, if
different. Time to switch modes and mode transient behaviors are also common items addressed
in a specification.

Closed Loop System Performance

• Bandwidth
• Overshoot
• Damping Ratio
• Phase Lag
• Response to Disturbances
• Gain and Phase Margins
• Rate Limiting
• Threshold
• Linearity
• Time Delay

Failure Mode Responses

• Runaway or Hardover Detection and Response Time
• Protection from Oscillatory Failures Modes (that could damage structure)
 • Response to an Actuator Jam
• Mode Switching Time
• Actuator Damping with Loss of Hydraulic Pressure or other Failure

Environmental Qualification
Qualification testing is normally done on the actuator assembly which would include any attached
electrical hardware (including a electronic controller if attached to the actuator). For a new PCU
design environmental qualification testing would normally include:
• High/Low/Temperature Variation Testing
• Vibration
• Fluids Susceptibility - primarily for seals and any electrical devices on the actuator
• Humidity – primarily for seals and any electrical devices on the actuator
• Sand/Salt – primarily for seals and any electrical devices on the actuator
• Icing – if freezing moisture on the PCU surface may be a problem. Also any electrical
device or controller would need to complete icing testing.
• Proof / Burst Pressure Tests – all hydraulic passages and components
• Limit / Ultimate Loading
• Shock
• Endurance - using a realistic duty cycle and in an appropriate environmental test
chamber
• Fatigue Durability – using a realistic load spectrum
• Pressure Impulse Testing – per SAE ARP 1383
• Altitude
• Humidity
• Sand & Dust
• Salt Spray
• Fungus Resistance
• Waterproofness
• Icing
• Radiation
• Vibration, Shock & Acceleration
• Combined Temperature/altitude/Humidity/Vibration
For electrical components, the following should be considered
• Magnetic Effects
• Power Input
• Voltage Spike
• Conducted Susceptibility
 • Radiated Susceptibility
• Emission of Radio Frequency Energy
• Hirf and Lightning Effects
• Electrostatic Discharge
• Corona
These are minimum tests that are intended to provide reasonable assurance that the PCU will
function properly when installed in an aircraft and is suitable for its intended use. Additional
testing may be requested or required, but the above list is typically the tests that will show any
problems. Electrical devices which part of the PCU assembly will require voltage spike, HIRF,
lightning, conducted/radiated field susceptibility, etc. qualification testing.
Environmental testing guidelines normally follow RTCA/DO-160 or MIL-STD-810, at the latest
revision levels. Electromagnetic effects can be found in RTCA/DO-160 of MIL-STD-461 and MIL-
STD-464.

Other
• Weight
• Type of hydraulic fluid
• Materials
• Finishes
• Processes
• Reliability
• Maintainability
• Lubrication
• Any special Ground Support Equipment or limitations on Ground Support Equipment

Fail Safe Methodology

Normally, a fail safe methodology is specified in PCU specifications. Fail safe methodology
generally means that (1) any single failure should not prevent continued safe flight and landing
and (2) all multiple failures not shown to be extremely improbable (< 1.0E-09 failures per flight
hour) should not prevent continued safe flight and landing. This definition may vary some
between commercial aircraft, military aircraft and space vehicles but the essence remains. For
commercial aircraft, a good reference is FAA Advisory Circular AC 25.1309-1A.
Specifications for latent failures may also be required in some applications. Latent failures are
failures that are not detected during normal airplane operation or normal maintenance activities.
Therefore, latent failures can occur and be dormant for some time. Concerns arise when a latent
(undetected) failure has occurred and a 2nd failure (either evident or latent) would lead to a
catastrophic event. If a requirement governing treatment of latent failures is not part of the
specification, latent failures will need to be carefully analyzed in the safety analysis.