Turbojets require variable exhaust nozzles to fit high-demanding applications; however, few reports on nozzle control are available. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible advantages of an exhaust gas control through a variable exhaust nozzle. The control design method combines successful linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) capabilities with a loop shaping controller (LSC) to: (i) allow designing the closed-loop characteristics in terms of gain margin, phase margin and bandwidth, and (ii) increase the LSC disturbance rejection capabilities with an extended state observer. A representation of the nozzle dynamics is obtained from first principles and adapted to achieve a stream-velocity-based control loop. The results show that the resulting controller allows improving the expansion of the exhaust gas to the ambient pressure for the whole operating range of the turbojet, increasing the estimated thrust by 14.23% during the tests with experimental data.
Purpose Aircraft pitch control is fundamental for the performance of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). The purpose of this paper is to establish a simple experimental procedure to calibrate pitch instrumentation and classical control algorithms. This includes developing an efficient pitch angle observer with optimal estimation and evaluating controllers under uncertainty and external disturbances. Design/methodology/approach A wind tunnel test bench is designed to simulate fixed-wing aircraft dynamics. Key elements of the instrumentation commonly found in MAVs are characterized in a gyroscopic test bench. A data fusion algorithm is calibrated to match the gyroscopic test bench measurements and is then integrated into the autopilot platform. The elevator-angle to pitch-angle dynamic model is obtained experimentally. Two different control algorithms, based on model-free and model-based approaches, are designed. These controllers are analyzed in terms of parametric uncertainties due to wind speed variations and external perturbation because of sudden weight distribution changes. A series of experimental tests is performed in wind-tunnel facilities to highlight the main features of each control approach. Findings With regard to the instrumentation algorithms, a simple experimental methodology for the design of optimal pitch angle observer is presented and validated experimentally. In the context of the platform design and identification, the similitude among the theoretical and experimental responses shows that the platform is suitable for typical pitch control assessment. The wind tunnel experiments show that a fixed linear controller, designed using classical frequency domain concepts, is able to provide adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs. Research limitations/implications The aircraft orientation observer can be used for both pitch and roll angles. However, for simultaneousyaw angle estimation the proposed design method requires further research. The model analysis considers a wind speed range of 6-18 m/s, with a nominal operation of 12 m/s. The maximum experimentally tested reference for the pitch angle controller was 20°. Further operating conditions may require more complex control approaches (e.g. scheduling, non-linear, etc.). However, this operating range is enough for typical MAV missions. Originality/value The study shows the design of an effective pitch angle observer, based on a simple experimental approach, which achieved locally optimum estimates at the test conditions. Additionally, the instrumentation and design of a test bench for typical pitch control assessment in wind tunnel facilities is presented. Finally, the study presents the development of a simple controller that provides adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs, including perturbations that resemble package delivery and parametric uncertainty due to wind speed variations.
Purpose Reducing fuel consumption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during transient operation is a cornerstone to achieve environment-friendly operations. The purpose of this paper is to develop a control scheme that improves the fuel economy of a turbojet in its full operating envelope. Design/methodology/approach A novel direct-thrust linear quadratic integral (LQI) approach, comprised by an optimal observer/controller satisfying specified performance parameters, is presented. The thrust estimator, based in a Wiener model, is validated with the experimental data of a micro-turbojet. Model uncertainty is characterized by analyzing variations between the identified model and measured data. The resulting uncertainty range is used to verify closed-loop stability with the circle criterion. The proposed controller provides stable responses with the specified performance in the whole operating range, even with after considering plant nonlinearities. Finally, the direct-thrust LQI is compared with a standard thrust controller to assess fuel economy and performance. Findings The direct-thrust LQI approach reduced the fuel consumption by 2.1090% in the most realistic scenario. The controllers were also evaluated using the environmental effect parameter (EEP) and transient-thrust-specific fuel consumption (T-TSFC). These novel metrics are proposed to evaluate the environmental impact during transient-thrust operations. The direct-thrust LQI approach has a more efficient fuel consumption according to these metrics. The results also show that isolating the thrust dynamics within the feedback loop has an important impact in fuel economy. Controllers were also evaluated using the EEP and T-TSFC. These novel metrics are proposed to evaluate the environmental impact during transient-thrust operations. The direct-thrust LQI approach has a more efficient fuel consumption according to these metrics. The results also show that isolating the thrust dynamics within the feedback loop has an important impact in fuel economy. Originality/value This study shows the design of an effective direct-thrust control approach that minimizes fuel consumption, ensures stable responses for the full operation range, allows isolating the thrust dynamics when designing the controller and is compatible with classical robustness and performance metrics. Finally, the study shows that a simple controller can reduce the fuel consumption of the turbojet during transient operation in scenarios that approximate realistic operating conditions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.