*3.3. High-Fidelity Modeling*

As previously stated, the creation of highly detailed mathematical models was paramount to studying the effect and evolution of selected failure modes on the different components of the electromechanical actuator without involving the real actuators' damage. The highfidelity models are expected to represent the real behavior of each component under investigation under both nominal and degraded conditions. In such a way, the model assumed the role of a virtual test bench on which to inject artificial flaws to study their effects on the available measurable signals.

The mathematical models were created following a complete white box approach, where the dynamics of every phenomenon were derived and dictated by physical laws and equations.
