Time-delay effects in a HIL aircraft power system emulator

The impact of time delays on emulation systems is examined through a simulation model of an aircraft power system demonstrator facility. The aircraft demonstrator uses hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) techniques to command two motor drives so they emulate the dynamic characteristics of the shafts in an aircraft gas-engine. Time delay effects are inherent in HIL test systems using industrial control platforms and communication systems, and so time delay compensation techniques are required. Techniques to mitigate the time delay, or the effect of the time delay, are examined to enhance the accuracy of the gas-engine emulation.