Identification of a Dynamical Model of the Latching Mechanism of an Aircraft Hatch Door using the Numerical Algorithms for Subspace State-Space System Identification

In this paper, the main objective is to underline the possibility of identifying simplified mechanical models of complex mechanical systems through the numerical techniques of applied system identification to develop control actions. For this purpose, the system identification theory and, in particular, the Numerical Algorithms for Subspace State-Space System Identification, shortened in N4SID, are employed in this work considering a mathematical model as the test rig instead of using a real system and the data gathered from real sensors. In particular, the mechanical model of the latch system of the ATR 42/72 cargo door is the case study considered in this investigation to integrate the CAD (Computer-Aided Design) model and the dynamical simulations carried out within the MBD (Multi-Body Dynamics) virtual environments. Thus, the software SOLIDWORKS is used for the CAD interface, whereas, at the same time, the software SIMSCAPE is chosen to carry out the numerical simulations of the corresponding multibody model, and the system identification process is performed employing the N4SID suite implemented in MATLAB. When compared with the original nonlinear multibody model, the numerical results found from the dynamical simulations generated in SIMSCAPE, starting from the model developed in SOLIDWORKS, are used to identify a simpler linear dynamical model of the latch system of the hatch door, which could be effectively used in subsequent developments to analyze further the real prototype and for the design of effective control strategies.