Open-Loop Linear Model Identification of aMultirotor Vehicle with Active Feedback Control

As multirotor vehicles become integrated into the national airspace for applications such as package delivery and videography, it is important that the inner-loop control system be robust and able to meet ever-demanding performance constraints. To achieve high bandwidth control designs, it is necess...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of aircraft 2020-11, Vol.57 (6), p.1044-1061
Main Authors: Cunningham, Michael A, Hubbard, James E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Active control
Aerodynamics
Aircraft
Airspace
Automatic pilots
Aviation
Bandwidths
Blades
Closed loop systems
Configurations
Control systems
Control theory
Controllers
Design
Feedback control
Feedback control systems
Flight tests
Fluid dynamics
Identification
Open source software
Parameter estimation
Propulsion systems
Robust control
State space models
System dynamics
System identification
Vehicles
Videography
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:As multirotor vehicles become integrated into the national airspace for applications such as package delivery and videography, it is important that the inner-loop control system be robust and able to meet ever-demanding performance constraints. To achieve high bandwidth control designs, it is necessary to have accurate and high bandwidth open-loop models. In this Paper, a linear state-space model of the open-loop dynamics of a hex-configuration multirotor vehicle was identified from flight tests conducted with an active feedback controller. The system identification methodology and initial model structure were formed and informed by an analytical model, which incorporated a propeller aerodynamics model derived using blade element theory. The methodology for identification of the open-loop model involved the combined application of manual pilot inputs and automated multisine inputs added to the output of the controller. The effectiveness of the model’s predictive capability was shown with a validation flight test with simultaneous excitation of the four input axes and an independent flight test for validation of the heave model. The final model structure, which incorporated axis-lumped first order dynamics to represent the propulsion system dynamics, was found to be generalizable to various traditional coplanar multirotor configurations.
ISSN:1533-3868
0021-8669
1533-3868
DOI:10.2514/1.C035834