Design of an aerodynamic load simulator for pintle actuators

In this study, a novel aerodynamic load simulator design for a pintle actuator is proposed. The proposed load simulator is composed of two ring magnets magnetized along their geometric axes and a ferromagnetic disk between them. The net magnetic force on the disk is transmitted by a nonmagnetic rod that is attached to the disk and moves through the ring magnets' internal holes. The force is then amplified by a lever between the rod and actuator. The size of the disk, size of the magnets, size of the magnet brackets, and fixed distance between the two magnets are parameterized to reproduce a target load profile using finite element method magnetics (FEMM) software. The FEMM results show that the net force profile along the disk's position is similar to the target load profile according to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis results of pintle's operating conditions. Based on the FEMM results, all parts of the load generating unit are machined and assembled to build a prototype of the aerodynamic load simulator for the pintle actuator. The test results of the developed magnet-based load simulator are compared with FEMM results and with the test results of a conventional spring-based load simulator to verify the effectiveness of the developed load simulator.