Aircraft trajectory control with feedback linearization for general nonlinear system

TL;DR

This paper extends feedback linearization for general nonlinear systems, developing a robust aircraft trajectory controller with proven stability and simulation validation, including an inverse-free set-point control variant.

Contribution

It introduces a novel feedback linearization approach for nonlinear aircraft control, incorporating Lyapunov stability and inverse-free set-point control, with robustness enhancements.

Findings

Effective nonlinear control via feedback linearization

Guaranteed asymptotic tracking performance

Robustness achieved through integral control

Abstract

The feedback linearization method is further developed for the controller design on general nonlinear systems. Through the Lyapunov stability theory, the intractable nonlinear implicit algebraic control equations are effectively solved, and the asymptotically tracking performance is guaranteed. Moreover, it is proved that the controller may be used in an inverse-free version to the set-point control. With this method, a nonlinear aircraft outer-loop trajectory controller is developed. For the concern regarding the controller's robustness, the integral control technique is combined to counteract the adverse effect from modeling errors. Simulation results verify the well performance of the proposed controller.