Kinematic Parameters for Generation of Acceleration Force Profile of a Centrifuge Flight Simulator

Pilots of modern combat aircrafts are exposed to the devastating effects of high acceleration forces, The pilots' ability to perform tasks under these extreme flight conditions must be examined. For the purpose of pilot training, a centrifuge flight simulator for pilot training is designed as a 3DoF manipulator with rotational axes. Through rotations about these axes, acceleration forces that act on the aircraft pilots are simulated. The centrifuge flight simulator must achieve velocity, acceleration and acceleration rates (jerks) of the pilot through rotation of its arm. A constant increase/decrease in the acceleration force acting on a pilot is required according to specifications. To prevent the abrupt change in the arm angular velocity before and after the desired linear change in the acceleration force, smoothing of the acceleration force profile through arm motion is necessary. The roll and pitch angles (the angles of the second and the third link) and the arm angular velocity define the orthogonal components of the resultant vector of the acceleration force that are experienced by the simulator pilot. The determination the arm angular velocity and angular acceleration profiles and the roll and pitch angles needed for achieving the desired acceleration force components of the centrifuge flight simulator is presented in this paper.