Flight controller and low-cost test environment for a simulated helicopter
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Date
2014Author
Terblanche, Martin C.
Uren, Kenneth R.
Van Schoor, George
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In this paper, optimal linear control techniques are utilised to control a radio-controlled
helicopter (30 size) in the AeroSIMRC simulation environment. A grey-box time-domain system
identification method is used to estimate a linear state space model that operates in hover mode.
Identifying the unknown parameters in the model is highly dependent on the initial values and the input
data. The model is divided into sub-systems to make estimation possible. The identified state space
model shows a good measure of fit compared to the simulator’s flight data. A linear quadratic controller
forms the inner-loop, and an optimised PID outer-loop generates attitude commands from a given inertial
position trajectory. An observer estimates the unmeasured states such as blade flapping. The controller is
developed in Simulink® with a plug-in written for the AeroSIMRC flight simulator. The plug-in enables
Simulink® to control the simulator through a User Datagram Protocol interface for the purpose of model
and controller validation. The proposed methodology facilitates a low cost test environment for new
flight control algorithms. The simulation results show that the controller keeps the helicopter stable in the
presence of considerable environmental disturbances and plant uncertainties
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/16873https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474667016427576
https://doi.org/10.3182/20140824-6-ZA-1003.02194