Modeling and Control of a NextGen Circulation Control Based Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

本项目旨在利用新的控制概念，即循环控制，对固定翼飞行器的动力学特性进行表征和精确建模。与飞机常用的传统操纵面相比，循环控制是提高升力的最有效的主动流动控制方法。循环控制机翼(CCW)包括一个空气输送系统，通过与飞行器主机身集成的供气单元，在机翼后缘均匀地吹出空气。虽然《特定常规武器公约》的概念比目前最先进的设计有巨大的好处，但这种设计的基本建模和控制方面显然需要改进。该项目将产生一种全面和可验证的理论和实验方法，以无人机平台作为试验台来开发数学模型和控制策略。该项目的研究结果将为全尺寸无人环控飞行器的设计奠定基础，并有助于对环控在其他应用中的应用有一个全面的了解。从这个项目中获得的基本理解将有助于设计具有《特定常规武器公约》概念的新型飞行器，这些飞行器可以显著提高空气动力学效率，增加巡航飞行期间的有效载荷，推迟失速的可能性，并减少起飞和降落期间的跑道要求。项目活动也与本科生和研究生的教育经验相结合。传统无人机有几个数学模型，但没有基于循环控制的飞行器设计的分析或实验模型。此外，环流控制对新构型飞机气动特性的影响尚不清楚，因此，控制设计的标准设计技术不能应用于这些新的无人机设计。该项目的研究重点是提供一种全面的方法学，以推导出具有循环控制的无人机的详细数学模型和运动方程。设计方法将针对各种情况制定：CC-ON、CC-OFF和CC-On-On-Demand。新制定的模型和导出的控制器将首先通过使用X-Plane模拟器环境进行广泛的仿真研究来验证，然后通过使用改装的ReadyMadeRC Ananconda测试平台进行飞行实验来验证。这项研究的结果预计将是经过验证和验证的设计。该项目的方法将准确地表征由于循环控制而产生的俯仰力矩、稳定性和控制导数的影响。一个独特的功能是导航控制器的派生，它解释了根据正在进行的任务而改变的吹气条件。此外，循环控制系统控制器根据设定的目标和/或所需的升力增强来动态调整吹风速度；这防止控制系统始终满负荷运行。

This project aims at characterizing and accurately modeling the dynamics of fixed wing aerial vehicle with novel control concept, namely circulation control. Circulation control is the most effective active flow control method for lift enhancement purposes when compared to traditional control surfaces commonly used in aircraft. The circulation control wing (CCW) includes an air delivery system that "blows" air uniformly on the trailing edge of the wing through an air supply unit that is integrated with the main fuselage of the vehicle. While the CCW concept has huge benefits over the current state-of-the-art, there is a distinct need for improvements in the fundamental modeling and control aspects of such design. This project will lead to a comprehensive and verifiable theoretical and experimental methodology to develop the mathematical model and control strategies using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform as the test-bed. The results from this project will lay a foundation for designing a full-scale unmanned circulation control aerial vehicle and contribute to a general understanding of implementation of circulation control in other applications. The fundamental understanding gained from this project will help design new aerial vehicles with the CCW concept that can deliver significantly enhanced aerodynamic efficiency, increased useful payload during cruise flight, delayed likelihood of stalling, and reduced runway requirements during take-off and landing. The project activities are also integrated with undergraduate and graduate educational experience.There exist several mathematical models for conventional UAVs, but there is no analytical or experimental model of the circulation control-based aerial vehicle designs. Also, the effect of circulation control on the aerodynamic characteristics of the new configuration aircraft are not known and, as a result, standard design techniques for control design cannot be applied to these new UAV designs. The research focus of this project is on providing a comprehensive methodology to derive a detailed mathematical model and equations of motion for the UAV with circulation control. The design methodology will be developed for various cases: CC-on, CC-off and CC-on-demand. The newly formulated models and derived controllers will be validated first through extensive simulation studies using X-Plane simulator environment and then through flight experiments using a retrofitted ReadyMadeRC Ananconda test platform. The outcome of the research is expected to be a verified and validated design. The project's methods will accurately characterize the effect of pitching moment, stability and control derivatives due to circulation control. A unique feature is the navigation controller derivation that accounts for changing blowing conditions depending on the on-going mission. Further, the circulation control system controller dynamically adjusts the blowing rate in accordance to set objectives and/or the required lift enhancement; this prevents operating the control system at full capacity at all times.