TY - GEN
T1 - Intelligent control of a morphing aircraft
AU - Gandhi, Neha
AU - Jha, Akhilesh
AU - Monaco, Jeffrey
AU - Seigler, Thomas Michael
AU - Ward, David
AU - Inman, Daniel J.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - A morphing aircraft is able to drastically alter its planform to optimize performance at very dissimilar flight conditions. Despite significant strides to develop wing structure and actuation systems, much work remains to effectively control both the morphing wing as well as the entire morphing aircraft. The control solution presented in this paper uses model-based methods that provide precise, closed-loop control of the morphing planform (i.e. wing-shape control) and simultaneously enforce prescribed closed-loop aircraft dynamics (i.e. flight control). The specific planform that is the focus of this research is the N-MAS wing designed by NextGen Aeronautics. At the wing-shape control level, the authors sought to answer two questions: (1) What is the most efficient means of actuating the underlying structure of the N-MAS wing? and (2) Given a fixed set of actuators, how does one precisely manipulate a morphing structure given inherent physical limitations? At the flight-control level, the authors sought to develop a control methodology that can: (1) accommodate different planforms that result in drastically changing plant dynamics, and (2) make the transition between any two configurations while maintaining the stability of the morphing aircraft.
AB - A morphing aircraft is able to drastically alter its planform to optimize performance at very dissimilar flight conditions. Despite significant strides to develop wing structure and actuation systems, much work remains to effectively control both the morphing wing as well as the entire morphing aircraft. The control solution presented in this paper uses model-based methods that provide precise, closed-loop control of the morphing planform (i.e. wing-shape control) and simultaneously enforce prescribed closed-loop aircraft dynamics (i.e. flight control). The specific planform that is the focus of this research is the N-MAS wing designed by NextGen Aeronautics. At the wing-shape control level, the authors sought to answer two questions: (1) What is the most efficient means of actuating the underlying structure of the N-MAS wing? and (2) Given a fixed set of actuators, how does one precisely manipulate a morphing structure given inherent physical limitations? At the flight-control level, the authors sought to develop a control methodology that can: (1) accommodate different planforms that result in drastically changing plant dynamics, and (2) make the transition between any two configurations while maintaining the stability of the morphing aircraft.
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U2 - 10.2514/6.2007-1716
DO - 10.2514/6.2007-1716
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:34547515543
SN - 1563478927
SN - 9781563478925
T3 - Collection of Technical Papers - AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference
SP - 166
EP - 182
BT - Collection of Technical Papers - 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference
T2 - 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference
Y2 - 23 April 2007 through 26 April 2007
ER -