Department Safety Critical Systems & Systems Engineering
EFCS Rig
This test bench is used to investigate the behaviour of electromechanical flight control actuators with artificially introduced damage. The recorded measurement values are used for the validation of highly accurate actuator models and condition monitoring procedures.
The department Safety Critical Systems & Systems Engineering focuses on design processes and methods, concepts and technologies for a safe control of aircraft. By providing appropriate design and evaluation methods, flight control architectures and technologies including control and monitoring concepts, safe, functional, and, in terms of the overall aircraft, optimal control concepts and systems are provided.
The department focuses on application oriented research with the ambition of validation of the new concepts and procedures after theoretical evaluation under conditions close to reality in test rigs. The department is organized in four groups:
Design and Validation Methods Mastering complexity by development of methods for an integrated, multidisciplinary and iterative system design.
Safety-Critical Architectures Fast, system-driven preliminary system design processes, flight control concepts and system architectures and their safety evaluation.
System Control and Monitoring Methods of control, monitoring and prognostics.
Avionics Safe data transmission with new transmission media. Focuses on wireless technologies and polymer-optical fiber technology for use in safety-critical applications.
For validation of theoretical work and the preparation of systems for flight test, several test rigs are operated:
Electronic Flight Control System (EFCS)-Rig
Test Stands for electromechanical actuators
Test stands for hydraulic actuators
Cockpit simulation environment
Landing gear test rig for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Project Management/Systems Engineering
Great emphasis is placed on professional project management and systems engineering in the department. The project management and project documentation are standardized within the department and carried out by the standard of PMI (Project Management Institute). The project management and monitoring is performed by means of a PMO (Project Management Office), which includes a number of certified project managers. Professional Systems Engineering is ensured by qualified personnel (Certificates as ASEP / CSEP) according to the standard of INCOSE (International Council of Systems Engineering). The Department is an active member of associations like the GfSE (Society for Systems Engineering, Chapter of INCOSE) and the ProSTEP iViP (integrated virtual product creation).
HAP alpha design study
In contrast to aircraft and non-geostationary satellites, high-altitude platforms should be permanently deployable at any location and can be used for many tasks in the field of Earth observation. These include the monitoring of shipping routes, reconnaissance in the event of flooding events and forest fires or the monitoring of ice surfaces.
