Hardware in the Loop Simulation and Control Design for Autonomous Free Running Ship Models

This paper presents an hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation system tool to test and validate an autonomous free running model system for ship hydrodynamic studies with a view to verification of the code, the control logic and system peripherals. The computer simulation of the plant model in real-time computer does not require the actual physical system and reduces the development cost and time for control design and testing purposes. The HIL system includes: the actual programmable embedded controller along with peripherals and a plant model virtually simulated in a real-time computer. With regard to ship controller design for ship model testing, this study describes a plant model for surge and a Nomoto first order steering dynamics, both implemented using Simulink software suit. The surge model captures a quasi-steady state relationship between surge speed and the propeller rpms, obtained from simple forward speed towing tank tests or derived analytically. The Nomoto first order steering dynamics is obtained by performing the standard turning circle test at model scale. The control logic obtained is embedded in a NI-cRIO based controller. The surge and steering dynamics models are used to design a proportional-derivative controller and an LQR controller. The controller runs a Linux based real-time operating system programmed using LabVIEW software. The HIL simulation tool allows for the emulation of standard ship hydrodynamic tests consisting of straight line, turning circle and zigzag to validate the combined system performance, prior to actual for use in the autonomous free-running tests

Robust composite nonlinear feedback for nonlinear Steer-by-Wire vehicle’s Yaw control

Yaw control is a part of an Active Front Steering (AFS) system, which is used to improve vehicle manoeuvrability. Previously, it has been reported that the yaw rate tracking performance of a linear Steer-by-Wire (SBW) vehicle equipped with a Composite Nonlinear Feedback (CNF) controller and a Disturbance Observer (DOB) is robust with respect to side wind disturbance effects. This paper presents further investigation regarding the robustness of the combination between a CNF and a DOB in a nonlinear environment through a developed 7-DOF nonlinear SBW vehicle. Moreover, in contrast to previous studies, this paper also contributes in presenting the validation works of the proposed control system in a real-time situation using a Hardware-in-Loop (HIL) platform. Simulation and validation results show that the CNF and DOB managed to reduce the influence of the side wind disturbance in nonlinearities

Test and Evaluation of the Piccolo Autopilot System on a One-Third Scale Yak-54

To gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the great ice sheets the National Science Foundation established the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) to develop technologies that would improve data gathering of said ice sheets. CReSIS was tasked with the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle, named the Meridian, which would have the ability to make use of advanced radar systems that could be used to gather data on the ice sheets of remote Polar Regions. CReSIS decided to use commercial-off-the-shelf autopilot systems on the Meridian, selecting the Cloud Cap Technologies Piccolo II UAV autopilot system as the initial system to be tested and evaluated. A process for test and evaluation of modeling, simulation and control systems is presented. Three dynamic models for a one-third scale Yak-54 are developed. A deliberate and methodical flight test program is developed to evaluate the Piccolo II flight control system. Parameter identification flight tests are performed to evaluate the three modeling and simulation techniques. Closed loop flight testing is performed to evaluate the flight control system's ability to control an aircraft and the ability of the gains to be performance optimized. Finally flaws are found in the communication system architecture of the Piccolo II autopilot system which causes the system to go pilot-in-loop unstable and to be rejected from further consideration by the CReSIS team

Challenges and Lessons Learned From Resurrecting a Legacy Research Flight Controller

Resurrecting the legacy Inner Loop Thrust Vectoring research flight controller to investigate the tail shock region brought unique challenges. This report documents these challenges and lessons learned from a stability and controls perspective. The flight test approach for flight envelope expansion and probing tests, as well as limited flight test results, are presented. Recent advances in sonic boom reduction technology have contributed to a resurgent interest in civilian supersonic cruise flight. These advances have focused only on fore body shaping, however, and little, if any, experimental flight data are available to develop and validate design tools for the tail shock region. In January of 2009, the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center completed research flights to investigate the tail shock region of a highly modified F-15 aircraft by probing the shock waves around it, using another F-15 aircraft. To adjust the lift distribution and plume shape, a decade-old research flight controller from the Inner Loop Thrust Vectoring project was required. To investigate the tail shock region, the lift distribution was changed by adjusting the canard position, and the plume shape was changed by adjusting the nozzle area and thrust vectoring

Hardware-in-the-Loop and Road Testing of RLVW and GLOSA Connected Vehicle Applications

This paper presents an evaluation of two different Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) applications, namely Red Light Violation Warning (RLVW) and Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA). The evaluation method is to first develop and use Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulator testing, followed by extension of the HIL testing to road testing using an experimental connected vehicle. The HIL simulator used in the testing is a state-of-the-art simulator that consists of the same hardware like the road side unit and traffic cabinet as is used in real intersections and allows testing of numerous different traffic and intersection geometry and timing scenarios realistically. First, the RLVW V2I algorithm is tested in the HIL simulator and then implemented in an On-Board-Unit (OBU) in our experimental vehicle and tested at real world intersections. This same approach of HIL testing followed by testing in real intersections using our experimental vehicle is later extended to the GLOSA application. The GLOSA application that is tested in this paper has both an optimal speed advisory for passing at the green light and also includes a red light violation warning system. The paper presents the HIL and experimental vehicle evaluation systems, information about RLVW and GLOSA and HIL simulation and road testing results and their interpretations