Storming Media: Pentagon Reports and DocumentsPentagon Reports: Fast. Definitive. Complete.     
New Account »
Forgot Password?
Advanced Search »
Biological SciencesBiochemistry

Terminal Control of a Variable-Stability Slender Reentry Vehicle

Authors: Matthew T. Karmondy; MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE DEPT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
Abstract:
Various terminal control schemes are applied to a proposed slender reentry vehicle, controlled by two separately-articulating flaps. The flap deflections are summarized as symmetric and asymmetric flap deflections; the former manipulates the drag, lift-curve slope, and static margin; the latter controls the vehicle trim characteristics. The control problem is interesting because the static margin can be actively controlled from statically stable in pitch to statically unstable in pitch. Deflection limits on the flaps present a control saturation that must be considered in control system design. A baseline, angle of attack tracking linear-quadratic servo (LQ-servo) controller is detailed, including an analysis of actuator dynamics and a lead compensator. Desired time response characteristics and robustness to center of pressure uncertainty, reduced control effectiveness, and external pitch accelerations drive the selection of a symmetric de deflection at specified points on the reentry trajectory. A hybrid switching- linear controller (SLC) is developed to reduce the peak overshoot and settling time. A saturated control drives the phase plane trajectory toward a region of satisfactory linear control, where the LQ-servo controller is properly initialized and controls the phase plane trajectory to the reference command. SLC does not provide appreciable robustness gains compared to the LQ-servo controller. A model-reference adaptive controller is described. Saturation effects prevent the adaptive controller from providing additional robustness. A method to adaptively control both the symmetric and asymmetric flap defections is proposed.

Limitations: APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Description: Master's thesis
Pages: 137
Report Date: 02 JUN 2008
Report Number: A678284
Keywords relating to this report:
*ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS
*DEFLECTION
*FLAPS(CONTROL SURFACES)
*FLAPS_CONTROL SURFACES_
*REENTRY VEHICLES
ACCELERATION
ACTUATORS
ASYMMETRY
ATMOSPHERE ENTRY
ATTACK
COMPENSATORS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
CURVES_GEOMETRY_
DRAG
DRIVES
DYNAMICS
EXTERNAL
HYBRID SYSTEMS
LIMITATIONS
LINEAR SYSTEMS
LINEARITY
OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
PRESSURE
QUADRATIC PROGRAMMING
REACTION TIME
SERVOMECHANISMS
STATICS
SWITCHING
SYMMETRY
THESES
TRACKING
TRAJECTORIES
UNCERTAINTY
Email This Abstract