Hardware in the loop testing using a hydraulic shaking table

In aerospace engineering, experimental testing is mandatory for certification. In case of assembled structures, the interaction of dynamic loads between substructures largely determines the overall dynamic behavior. However, testing of large assembled structures is not always feasible or may be unreasonable from economic considerations. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation is a testing technique based on dynamic substructuring of large assembled structures, where one part of an assembled structure is available as hardware while the remaining part is represented by a simulation model. The interaction between the virtual and the physical substructure requires the measurement of interface forces and the emulation of interface motion using a dedicated test facility. In this paper, the feasibility of HIL is investigated using a six-axis hydraulic shaking table. The theoretical foundation for HIL is reviewed and the critical factors for the success of HIL are being discussed. An exemplary application is presented.