Nonlinear Feedback Control of Axisymmetric Aerial Vehicles

TL;DR

This paper presents a control strategy for axisymmetric aerial vehicles using simple aerodynamic models, enabling explicit equilibrium orientation determination and adaptive control design, validated through simulations with real aerodynamic data.

Contribution

It introduces a method to explicitly determine equilibrium orientation based on aerodynamic characteristics, enhancing control design for large flight envelope aerial vehicles.

Findings

Explicit equilibrium orientation determination is possible under certain aerodynamic conditions.

Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control approach.

The method adapts existing thrust direction control paradigms for axisymmetric vehicles.

Abstract

We investigate the use of simple aerodynamic models for the feedback control of aerial vehicles with large flight envelopes. Thrust-propelled vehicles with a body shape symmetric with respect to the thrust axis are considered. Upon a condition on the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle, we show that the equilibrium orientation can be explicitly determined as a function of the desired flight velocity. This allows for the adaptation of previously proposed control design approaches based on the thrust direction control paradigm. Simulation results conducted by using measured aerodynamic characteristics of quasi-axisymmetric bodies illustrate the soundness of the proposed approach.