Efficiency analysis of lateral actuators for aircraft taxiing

In recent years, the importance of lateral control performance for aircraft taxiing on the ground has become increasingly recognized. The ground taxiing characteristics of an aircraft are influenced by factors such as structural configuration, control systems, environmental disturbances, and pilot input. Ensuring safe taxiing under complex runway conditions and external interferences, while maintaining a certain degree of manoeuvrability for lateral deviation correction and other functions, poses a significant challenge. Most scholars address these issues by designing ground lateral controllers, focusing on the control laws of ground manoeuvring, and leveraging the robustness and adaptability of control algorithms to achieve autonomous deviation correction. The primary actuators involved in lateral control include the rudder, differential brakes, and nosewheel steering. To effectively utilize these actuators for runway lateral deviation correction, it is essential to evaluate and analyse the lateral control efficiency of each actuator under various conditions. This paper primarily analyses and calculates the lateral control efficiency of each actuator at different speeds, providing theoretical support for the design of future control laws for runway lateral deviation correction.