Open-Loop Stability and Closed-Loop Gust Alleviation on Flexible Aircraft Including Wake Modeling
File(s)
Submitted version
Author(s)
Murua, J
Palacios, R
Graham, JMR
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
This paper numerically investigates the dynamics of a flexible, lightweight, unmanned aircraft, evaluating its stability boundaries and focusing on the response of the aircraft under atmospheric disturbances. This is achieved by integrating a time-domain 3-D un- steady vortex-lattice aerodynamics method with a geometrically-exact composite beam model encompassing elastic and rigid-body degrees of freedom. The resulting framework is a medium-fidelity tool for the analysis of vehicles that exhibit substantial couplings between their aeroelastic and flight dynamics responses. In its general nonlinear form, the unified model captures the instantaneous shape of the lifting surfaces and the free wake, including large geometrically-nonlinear displacements, in-plane motions, and aerodynamic interfer- ence effects. The linearization of the equations leads to a monolithic state-space assembly, ideally suited for stability analysis and control synthesis. The numerical studies illustrate these capabilities, designing linear PID controllers in order to alleviate gust-induced loads and trajectory deviations. © 2012 AIAA.
Version
Submitted version
Date Issued
2012-04
Citation
2012
Source Title
53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference,
Copyright Statement
© The Authors
Source
53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference,Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Source Place
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Publication Status
Published
Start Date
2012-04-23
Finish Date
2012-04-26