Stability Augmentation and Active Flutter Suppression of a Flexible Flying-Wing Drone

Schmidt, David
2015-05-19
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https://hdl.handle.net/11299/172718
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Stability Augmentation and Active Flutter Suppression of a Flexible Flying-Wing Drone

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2015-05-19

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Integrated control laws are developed for stability augmentation and active flutter suppression (AFS) of a flexible, flying-wing drone. The vehicle is a 12-pound unmanned, flying- wing research aircraft with a 10 ft wingspan. AFS is flight critical since the subject vehicle is designed to flutter within its flight envelope. The critical flutter condition involves aeroelastic interactions between the rigid-body and elastic degrees of freedom; hence the control laws must simultaneously address both rigid-body stability augmentation and flutter suppression. The control-synthesis approach is motivated by the concept of Identically Located Force and Acceleration (ILAF), successfully applied on some previous operational aircraft. Based on the flutter characteristics and on conventional stability-augmentation concepts, two simple loop closures are suggested. It is shown that this control architecture robustly stabilizes the body- freedom-flutter condition, increases the damping of the second aeroelastic mode (which becomes a second flutter mode at higher velocity), and provides reasonably conventional vehicle pitch- attitude response. The critical factors limiting the performance of the feedback system are identified to be the bandwidth of the surface actuators and the pitch effectiveness of the control surfaces.

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NASA NRA, "Lightweight Adaptive Aeroelastic Wing for Enhanced Performance Across the Flight Envelope," NRA NNX14AL36A, Mr. John Bosworth Technical Monitor.

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Schmidt, David. (2015). Stability Augmentation and Active Flutter Suppression of a Flexible Flying-Wing Drone. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/172718.

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