Project staff and support

David Reid (Intern, Glasgow Caledonian University)
Eve-Lise Guillebault Stoll (Company Supervisor, Airbus)
Roy Bradley (Academic Mentor, Glasgow Caledonian University)
Tristram Armour (Technology Translator, Industrial Mathematics KTN)

This Internship project was carried out at Airbus, in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian University. It is part of the KTN's Industrial Mathematics Internships Programme, co-funded by EPSRC. Start date: May 2009; duration: 6 months.

The internship has provided Airbus with tools to facilitate the quantitative assessment of braking control system performance. This has involved developing simulation platforms based on flight test data results to enhance the fidelity of such simulations, the extraction of quantitative information on the performance and stability of the control system.

Although intended to be independent of the type of aircraft, the project was focussed on the A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world.

Project summary

This project has enabled the calculation of friction-slip coefficients directly from flight test data to improve the replication of the wheel/runway dynamics during simulation.

Perhaps of more use is the presentation of braking performance data in terms of quantifying the characteristics of the test data. Tables detailing this information and a plot of the wavelet information in the form of an ‘Attack chart’ are now automatically generated in the form of a report when each set of flight test data is loaded.

Easier comparison of system activity enables tuning of components done for like for like cases (e.g. from a key flight test runway profile) and any improvement in behaviour quantified quickly.

The work in this project is independent of platform or aircraft, therefore providing a technique that may be applied in future aircraft and simulation platforms.

The intern has also gained an appreciation of the role of modelling and simulation within system engineering and learned about Airbus and its engineering practices.

"David has integrated well within the design team collating a good understanding of the work conducted by his team members across a variety of programmes. He has brought a new approach with fresh ideas to the complex problem of braking control system analysis and development. His methods have enabled some good insights and provided us with real benefits," said industrial supervisors Eve-Lise Guillebault Stoll and Adrian Wombwell.