Control Strategy for High Lift Motors in Distributed Electric Propulsion Aircraft

Distributed electric propulsion (DEP) aircraft utilize numerous high-lift propellers across their wingspans to enhance airflow during low-speed flight, which effectively boosts their aerodynamic efficiency. The efficiency improvement of high-lift systems plays a pivotal role in expanding the flight range of DEP aircraft. This study introduces a maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control strategy, premised on model reference adaptive control (MRAC), to address this critical concern. By deploying permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) in the high-lift systems, the proposed MTPA control strategy facilitates automatic identification and updates of motor parameters, resulting in a significant increase in the efficiency of the high-lift systems. The simulation results demonstrate the superior static and dynamic performance of the MRAC-based MTPA control system.