A novel parallel mechanism-based CTS test technique for the wind tunnel

The capture trajectory test (CTS) technology is an effective method to study the safety of aircraft-to-machine separation. The six-degree-of-freedom mechanism is the core component of the CTS test system. Compared with a series mechanism, a parallel six-degree-of-freedom mechanism has the advantages of high positioning accuracy, high mechanism rigidity, and strong carrying capacity. In this paper, the parallel mechanism is applied to the CTS wind tunnel test technology. Under the constraints of the space size of the wind tunnel, the configuration and structural parameters of the parallel six-degree-of-freedom mechanism are designed. The motion space of the parallel 6-degree of freedom (DOF) mechanism is solved and evaluated, and ground testing of the positioning accuracy of the mechanism is conducted. The wind tunnel test verification of the CTS test system is performed. The results show that the parallel CTS 6-DOF mechanism has high positioning accuracy, and the wind tunnel test data have good repeatability. The test system operates stably, and the test results have good regularity under different Mach numbers.