Multi-Objective Fault-Tolerant Output Tracking Control of a Flexible Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicle

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of multi-objective fault-tolerant output tracking control for the longitudinal model of a flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicle (FAHV). There exist some challenges for control design for the vehicles due to the inherent couplings between the propulsion system, the airframe dynamics, and the presence of strong flexibility effects. This paper addresses the problem of guaranteed cost fault-tolerant output tracking control with regional pole constraints against actuator faults for the FAHV system. A non-linear longitudinal model is adopted for control design because of the complexity of the FAHV systems. First, a linearized model is established around the trim point including the state of altitude, velocity, angle of attack, pitch angle, and pitch rate, etc. for a non-linear, dynamically coupled simulation model of a FAHV with the aim to address the multi-objective fault-tolerant output tracking control problem. Second, the control objective and models of actuator faults are presented. Third, by utilizing the Lyapunov functional approach, a multi-objective analysis condition is proposed in terms of convex optimization problems, that can be easily solved via standard numerical software. Then, a multi-objective fault-tolerant controller is designed such that the resulting closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and satisfies a prescribed performance cost with the simultaneous consideration of poles assignment in spite of possible actuator failure. Finally, the simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method, which is verified by an excellent altitude reference and velocity tracking performance.

Prescribed-performance fault-tolerant control for feedback linearisable systems with an aircraft application

“…This paper considers reference command tracking control for the nonlinear system (1) in the event of actuator impairments. To describe the faulty actuators, similar to Boskovic and Mehra (2010), Li et al (2010), Fan and Song (2012)…”

“…Although well developed, traditional studies on AHVs have been confined to ensure convergence of the tracking error, where no transient performance such as convergence rate and maximum overshoot or undershoot is involved (Groves et al 2005;Parker, Serrani, Yurkovich, Bolender, and Doman 2007;Sigthorsson, Jankovsky, Serrani, and Yurkovich 2008). Moreover, the existing research on controller design of the AHVs under nominal actuators is not suitable for the vehicles in the presence of actuator failures (Li et al 2010;Shen, Jiang, and Cocquempot 2013;Sun, Li, and Sun 2013). Due to increased demand of reliability in aerospace engineering, the robustness of control laws against faulty actuators is of practical value.…”

“…Similar to Li et al (2010), Shen et al (2013) and Sun et al (2013), in this paper, the actuator faults of the AHV are taken as loss of effectiveness with extra input disturbances…”

“…Generally speaking, according to the different ways on which the fault information is incorporated with the control laws, the existing FTC methods fall into two categories, namely, the active (Polycarpou 2001;Yen and Ho 2001;Qu, Ihlefeld, Jin, and Saengdeejing 2003;Dardinier-Maron, Hamelin, and Noura 1999;Liang, Chu, Wu, Xu, and Cheng 2004;Boskovic and Mehra 2010) and passive approaches (Tang, Tao, and Joshi 1990;Ma and Tao 2000;Li, Wu, Si, Gao, and Hu 2010;Song 2010, 2012). According to the information detected by the fault detection and isolation (FDI) mechanism, the active FTC approaches achieve increased fault tolerance by reconfiguring the controller on-line (Polycarpou 2001;Yen and Ho 2001;Qu et al 2003).…”

“…For example, as a result of the hydraulic or pneumatic leakage, increased resistance or fall in the supply voltage and so on, partially failed actuator produces only a part of the normal actuation, thus the actuator is affected by loss of effectiveness, where a minimum control authority is left during the actuator fault (Boskovic and Mehra 2010;Li et al 2010;Fan and Song 2012). Different from Tang et al (1990), Liang et al (2004) and Tao et al (2010), addressing the fault patterns of loss of effectiveness and extra disturbance, and by exploiting the residual control authority, the actuator redundancy is avoided in this paper in order to exclude the technical difficulties and high prices (Fiorentini and Serrani 2012).…”