Unmanned Solar Airplanes: Design and Algorithms for Efficient and Robust Autonomous Operation
Unmanned Solar Airplanes: Design and Algorithms for Efficient and Robust Autonomous Operation
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无人驾驶太阳能飞机：高效、稳健自主运行的设计和算法
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发表时间：
2014
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通讯作者：
Stefan Leutenegger
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作者：
Stefan Leutenegger
太阳能飞机具有在空中停留极长时间的独特能力：迄今为止，无人驾驶和载人系统都已证明可以持续飞行，即可以飞行几个昼夜循环。白天，太阳能模块为飞机供电并为电池充电，这必须保证飞机度过第二天的夜晚。因此，小型无人驾驶太阳能飞机被建议用于多种非军事应用场景，从灾难响应到搜索救援（SaR）以及一般的大规模测绘任务。本论文讨论了与这种特殊类型的靠近地面的无人机系统（UAS）长期自主运行相关的许多方面。我们从一开始就提出这样的问题：为了完成目标任务，太阳能飞机应该有多大以及它的性能如何。提出了一种对简化壳体或肋翼概念进行实际空气动力学和结构计算的方法。性能评估部分还考虑了飞行优化高度剖面，以允许潜在的能量存储。该概念设计工具的输出激发了 senseSoar 太阳能飞机原型的设计，该原型配备了增强型传感和处理组件。我们描述了与不同部件的设计相关的细节——这是一项跨越空气动力学、太阳能技术、电子和航空电子设备以及结构等各个学科的工程工作。此外，我们还推出了一种模块化传感和处理单元，可以连接到第二架太阳能飞机原型 AtlantikSolar，旨在实现创纪录的飞行。该飞机的开发超出了本工作的范围，但其实现再次受到概念设计工具的推动。在整个设计过程中，而且对于后续的仿真和自动驾驶仪的开发，空气动力学和飞行运动学模型发挥着重要作用；我们为此类分析提供了完整的工具链。开发高效组件是任何成功的太阳能飞机设计的关键。然而，只有飞机另外表现出足够的稳健性，才能实现长期运行。这两个核心概念不仅适用于设计，也同样适用于算法，最终将飞机变成一个可以自主运行的系统。作为任何自主性的基础，飞机需要对其内部状态以及周围环境进行估计，特别是以地图的形式。本文的大部分内容精确地解决了在硬实时和计算限制下融合各种传感器源的相关挑战。具体来说，提出并详细分析了两种算法，它们具有共同的元素：即惯性测量，即加速度计和速率陀螺仪读数受其运动学方程的影响。第一个融合策略通过磁力计、静态和动态压力以及 GPS 测量来补充该惯性模块
Solar airplanes offer the unique capability of staying airborne for extremely long times: to date, both unmanned and manned systems have proved sustained flight, in the sense of flying through several day and night cycles. During the day, the solar module powers the airplane and re-charges a battery, which must take the airplane through the following night. Small-scale unmanned solar airplanes have thus been suggested for a plethora of non-military application scenarios, ranging from disaster response to Search and Rescue (SaR) as well as general large-scale mapping missions. This thesis addresses many aspects related to long-term autonomous operation of this special class of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in close proximity to the ground. We start in the very beginning with asking the question of how large a solar airplane should be and how it would perform, in order to accomplish a target mission. A methodology is presented that performs actual aerodynamics and structural calculations of either a simplified shell or rib wing concept. The performance evaluation part also accounts for flying optimized altitude profiles, in order to allow for potential energy storage. The output of this conceptual design tool has motivated the design of the senseSoar solar airplane prototype that is equipped with enhanced sensing and processing components. We describe the details associated with the design of the different components—an engineering effort that spans various disciplines from aerodynamics to solar technology, electronics and avionics as well as structures. Furthermore, we introduce a modular sensing and processing unit that can be attached to a second solar airplane prototype, AtlantikSolar, aimed at record flying. The airplane was developed outside the scope of this work, but its realization was again motivated by the conceptual design tool. Throughout the design process, but also for subsequent simulations and autopilot development, aerodynamics and flight kinematics models play an important role; we present a complete toolchain for such analysis. Developing efficient components is key to any successful solar airplane design. Longterm operation, however, will only be enabled, if the aircraft additionally exhibits sufficient robustness. These two central concepts do not only apply to design, but equally to algorithms, which eventually turn the airplane into a system that can operate autonomously. As a basis for any autonomy, the aircraft needs to have an estimate about its internal states, as well as about its surroundings, specifically in the form of a map. Large parts of the thesis at hand address precisely the associated challenge of fusing various sensor sources under hard real-time and computational constraints. Specifically, two algorithms are presented and analyzed in detail that share a common element: namely inertial measurements, i.e. accelerometer and rate gyro readings subjected to their kinematics equations. A first fusion strategy complements this inertial module with magnetometer, static and dynamic pressure, as well as GPS measurements that are