Preliminary design of aerospace linear actuator housings

Purpose – This paper aims to propose preliminary design models of actuator housing that enable various geometries to be compared without requiring detailed knowledge of the actuator components. Aerospace actuation systems are currently tending to become more electrical and fluid free. Methodologies and models already exist for designing the mechanical and electrical components, but the actuator housing design is still sketchy. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is dedicated to linear actuators, the most common in aerospace. With special attention paid to mechanical resistance to the vibratory environment, simplified geometries are proposed to facilitate the generation of an equivalent formal development. The vibratory environment imposes the sizing of the actuator housing. Depending on the expected level of details and to vibration boundary conditions, three levels of modeling have been realized. Findings – This paper shows that the vibrations induced by aircraft environment are not design drivers...