Adaptive Control of a Generic Hypersonic Vehicle

This paper presents an adaptive augmented, gain-scheduled baseline LQR-PI controller applied to the Road Runner six-degree-of-freedom generic hypersonic vehicle model. Uncertainty in control effectiveness, longitudinal center of gravity location, and aerodynamic coefficients are introduced in the model, as well as sensor bias and noise, and input time delays. The performance of the baseline controller is compared to the same design augmented with one of two different model-reference adaptive controllers: a classical open- loop reference model design, and modified closed-loop reference model design. Both adaptive controllers show improved command tracking and stability over the baseline controller when subject to these uncertainties. The closed-loop reference model controller offers the best performance, tolerating a reduced control effectiveness of 50%, rearward center of gravity shift of up to -1.6 feet (11% of vehicle length), aerodynamic coefficient uncertainty scaled 4× the nominal value, and sensor bias of up to +3.2 degrees on sideslip angle measurement. The closed-loop reference model adaptive controller maintains at least 70% of the delay margin provided by the robust baseline design when subject to varying levels of uncertainty, tolerating input time delays of between 15-41 ms during 3 degree angle of attack doublet, and 80 degree roll step commands.Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Case Number 88ABW-2013-3392

Adaptive control of hypersonic vehicles in presence of actuation uncertainties

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-75).The thesis develops a new class of adaptive controllers that guarantee global stability in presence of actuation uncertainties. Actuation uncertainties culminate to linear plants with a partially known input matrix B. Currently available multivariable adaptive controllers yield global stability only when the input matrix B is completely known. It is shown in this work that when additional information regarding the structure of B is available, this difficulty can be overcome using the proposed class of controllers. In addition, a nonlinear damping term is added to the adaptive law to further improve the stability characteristics. It is shown here that the adaptive controllers developed above are well suited for command tracking in hypersonic vehicles (HSV) in the presence of aerodynamic and center of gravity (CG) uncertainties. A model that accurately captures the effect of CG shifts on the longitudinal dynamics of the HSV is derived from first principles. Linearization of these nonlinear equations about an operating point indicate that a constant gain controller does not guarantee vehicle stability, thereby motivating the use of an adaptive controller. Performance improvements are shown using simulation studies carried out on a full scale nonlinear model of the HSV. It is shown that the tolerable CG shifts can be almost doubled by using an adaptive controller as compared to a linear controller while tracking reference commands in velocity and altitude.by Amith Somanath.S.M

Adaptive control of a generic hypersonic vehicle

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-115).This thesis presents a an adaptive augmented, gain-scheduled baseline LQR-PI controller applied to the Road Runner six-degree-of-freedom generic hypersonic vehicle model. Uncertainty in control effectiveness, longitudinal center of gravity location, and aerodynamic coefficients are introduced in the model, as well as sensor bias and noise, and input time delays. The performance of the baseline controller is compared to the same design augmented with one of two different model-reference adaptive controllers: a classical open-loop reference model design, and modified closed-loop reference model design. Both adaptive controllers show improved command tracking and stability over the baseline controller when subject to these uncertainties. The closed-loop reference model controller offers the best performance, tolerating a reduced control effectiveness of 50%, rearward center of gravity shift of -0.9 to -1.6 feet (6-11% of vehicle length), aerodynamic coefficient uncertainty scaled 4x the nominal value, and sensor bias of +1.6 degrees on sideslip angle measurement. The closed-loop reference model adaptive controller maintains at least 73% of the delay margin provided by the robust baseline design, tolerating input time delays of between 18-46 ms during 3 degree angle of attack doublet, and 80 degree roll step commands.by Daniel Philip Wiese.S.M

Design Of An Adaptive Autopilot For An Expendable Launch Vehicle

This study investigates the use of a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) direct approach to solve the attitude control problem of an Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) during its boost phase of flight. The adaptive autopilot design is based on Lyapunov Stability Theory and provides a useful means for controlling the ELV in the presence of environmental and dynamical uncertainties. Several different basis functions are employed to approximate the nonlinear parametric uncertainties in the system dynamics. The control system is designed so that the desire dresponse to a reference model would be tracked by the closed-loop system. The reference model is obtained via the feedback linearization technique applied to the nonlinear ELV dynamics. The adaptive control method is then applied to a representative ELV longitudinal motion, specifically the 6th flight of Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle (AC-6) in 1965. The simulation results presented are compared to that of the actual AC-6 post-flight trajectory reconstruction. Recommendations are made for modification and future applications of the method for several other ELV dynamics issues, such as control saturation, engine inertia, flexible body dynamics, and sloshing of liquid fuels

Uncertainty Propagation in Hypersonic Aerothermoelastic Analysis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83589/1/AIAA-2010-2964-623.pd

Control-Relevant Modeling, Analysis, and Design for Scramjet-Powered Hypersonic Vehicles

Within this paper, control-relevant vehicle design concepts are examined using a widely used 3 DOF (plus flexibility) nonlinear model for the longitudinal dynamics of a generic carrot-shaped scramjet powered hypersonic vehicle. Trade studies associated with vehicle/engine parameters are examined. The impact of parameters on control-relevant static properties (e.g. level-flight trimmable region, trim controls, AOA, thrust margin) and dynamic properties (e.g. instability and right half plane zero associated with flight path angle) are examined. Specific parameters considered include: inlet height, diffuser area ratio, lower forebody compression ramp inclination angle, engine location, center of gravity, and mass. Vehicle optimizations is also examined. Both static and dynamic considerations are addressed. The gap-metric optimized vehicle is obtained to illustrate how this control-centric concept can be used to "reduce" scheduling requirements for the final control system. A classic inner-outer loop control architecture and methodology is used to shed light on how specific vehicle/engine design parameter selections impact control system design. In short, the work represents an important first step toward revealing fundamental tradeoffs and systematically treating control-relevant vehicle design

Adaptive control of hypersonic vehicles

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-109).The guidance, navigation and control of hypersonic vehicles are highly challenging tasks due to the fact that the dynamics of the airframe, propulsion system and structure are integrated and highly interactive. Such a coupling makes it difficult to model various components with a requisite degree of accuracy. This in turn makes various control tasks including altitude and velocity command tracking in the cruise phase of the flight extremely difficult. This work proposes an adaptive controller for a hypersonic cruise vehicle subject to: aerodynamic uncertainties, center-of-gravity movements, actuator saturation, failures, and time-delays. The adaptive control architecture is based on a linearized model of the underlying rigid body dynamics and explicitly accommodates for all uncertainties. Within the control structure is a baseline Proportional Integral Filter commonly used in optimal control designs. The control design is validated using a highfidelity HSV model that incorporates various effects including coupling between structural modes and aerodynamics, and thrust pitch coupling. Analysis of the Adaptive Robust Controller for Hypersonic Vehicles (ARCH) is carried out using a control verification methodology. This methodology illustrates the resilience of the controller to the uncertainties mentioned above for a set of closed-loop requirements that prevent excessive structural loading, poor tracking performance, and engine stalls. This analysis enables the quantification of the improvements that result from using and adaptive controller for a typical maneuver in the V-h space under cruise conditions.by Travis Eli Gibson.S.M

Investigation of Direct Force Control for Planetary Aerocapture at Neptune

In this work, a direct force control numerical predictor-corrector guidance architecture is developed to enable Neptune aerocapture using flight-heritage blunt body aeroshells. A linear aerodynamics model is formulated for a Mars Science Laboratory-derived aeroshell. The application of calculus of variations shows that the optimal angle of attack and side-slip angle control laws are bang-bang. A closed-loop numerical predictor-corrector direct force control guidance algorithm is developed and numerically simulated using the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II. The Monte Carlo simulated trajectories are demonstrated to be robust to the modeled dispersions in aerodynamics, atmospheric density, and entry state. An aerocapture technology trade study demonstrates that blunt body direct force control aerocapture enables similar performance as slender body bank angle control but halves the peak g-loading

Trajectory optimization and guidance law development for national aerospace plane applications

The work completed to date is comprised of the following: a simple vehicle model representative of the aerospace plane concept in the hypersonic flight regime, fuel-optimal climb profiles for the unconstrained and dynamic pressure constrained cases generated using a reduced order dynamic model, an analytic switching condition for transition to rocket powered flight as orbital velocity is approached, simple feedback guidance laws for both the unconstrained and dynamic pressure constrained cases derived via singular perturbation theory and a nonlinear transformation technique, and numerical simulation results for ascent to orbit in the dynamic pressure constrained case

On the low speed longitudinal stability of hypersonic waveriders

The development of hypersonic civilian transport aircraft requires solutions to a number of challenging problems in the areas of aerothermodynamics, control, aeroelasticity, propulsion and others encountered at high Mach number flight. The desire for good aerodynamic performance at high Mach numbers results in slender vehicle designs called waveriders. The stability and handling of waverider shapes at the low speeds at the take-off and landing phases of flight is not well studied. This thesis covers static and dynamic CFD simulations of the Hexafly-Int glider which have been used to obtain longitudinal stability derivatives at low speeds. Complementary static and free-to-pitch dynamic wind tunnel testing, are used to validate the CFD computations. A final chapter on the optimisation of waverider designs including low speed longitudinal stability is presented to show the impacts of this additional requirement on the hypersonic design space. The static wind tunnel testing has identified stability issues relating to the location of the centre of gravity. The design centre of gravity which is suitable for the Hexafly-Int vehicle at Mach 7.2 is found to be too far aft which results in instability at low speeds. In addition, the dynamic testing in the wind tunnel shows that the pitch damping is inadequate at low speeds. The CFD simulations agree well with the wind tunnel test results validating the use of CFD tools for determining dynamic stability derivatives of this class of slender vehicle in the design process. To alleviate the low speed stability issue of hypersonic vehicles, a waverider shape optimisation study has been carried out to understand what shapes will produce better low speed stability behaviour. These shapes are found to produce lower aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds which suggests that a design compromise between low speed stability and high speed performance is required at the outset of hypersonic waverider design