Automated Control Of Aircraft In Formation Flight

In this study, an automated formation control system for an aircraft formation comprised of one lead and multiple wing aircraft is analyzed. Second- order models of the C-130 aircraft are developed in order to accurately model the flying qualities of large aircraft. This automated formation control system is capable of controlling the C-130 aircraft in maneuvering formation flight, thus reducing the wing's pilot workload. During formation flight, the wing aircraft continuously measures the lead aircraft's relative position with an ideal on-board position sensor. This information, in addition to Proportional Plus Integral feedback control, is used to maintain the aircraft in formation. The control of each wing aircraft is assumed to be independent of other wing aircraft. Other than for nominal formation separation commands, no continuous communication is assumed between the formation aircraft. An analytical analysis of the formation control problem reveals that integral control is needed to achieve zero steady state error in the separation distances (after a formation maneuver is executed). This conclusion is confirmed using computer simulations. An analytical method of selecting the Proportional Plus Integral parameters is developed by identifying the dominant system dynamics and residues of the step response. In an attempt to reduce the fuel consumption of the wing aircraft during formation heading change maneuvers, an alternate control system is designed to conserve the energy of the wing. The resulting automated formation control system effectively maintains the formation of aircraft through a combination of velocity, heading, and altitude changes. These is zero steady state error for all maneuvers and separation distance change responses ... Flight control, Automated, Formation, C-130.

The research contained in this thesis explores the concepts of Automated Formation Flight Control documented in three previous AFIT theses. The generic formation analyzed consists of a Leader and Wingman, with the Wingman referencing its maneuvers off of Leader maneuvers. Specifically, planar formation flight control concerning only heading and velocity changes is considered. Next, the vertical separation constraint is relaxed to allow wing maneuvers outside of the flight plane of the lead in order to minimize the energy expended by the wing in a maneuver. Analysis of the two forms of formation flight control investigated in this thesis reveals the close relationship between formation geometry, aircraft time constants, controller gains, formation performance, and control system stability. Integral control action is determined to be necessary for formation flight control. Nonlinear simulations are accomplished on a digital computer to validate the analysis of the automated formation flight control system. Comparisons are made between the two forms of formation flight control considered, and a third, energy conserving maneuvers, in order to determine which is best for each phase of flight.

Automating the control of an aircraft flying in formation necessitates the extension of the theory of formation flight control to allow for three dimensional maneuvers. The formation was modeled as a two-aircraft, leader and wingspan, formation. Both aircraft has its own three dimensional, rotating and translating, Cartesian axes system, with special attention being given to the motion of the leader in relation to the wingspan. The controller operated using the equations of motion expressed in the rotating reference frame of the wing aircraft. The control system has seven states, three inputs and three disturbance signals to model the dynamics of the formation in three dimensional space. The control law employed was the feedback of the difference between in actual separation distance and the commanded separation distance to affect changes in thrust, lift, and roll rate. The control system incorporated proportional, integral, and derivative control elements, each with separate gains, to achieve and maintain the specified formation geometry despite various maneuvers flown by the leader. Simulated maneuvers included: an initial displacement of the wingspan away from the formation geometry, and changes in the leader's velocity, altitude, and heading. For each maneuver, the controller performance was sufficient to maintain the commanded formation geometry.

In the last decade the development and control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has attracted a lot of interest. Both researchers and companies have a growing interest in improving this type of vehicle given their many civilian and military applications. This book presents the state of the art in the area of UAV Flight Formation. The coordination and robust consensus approaches are presented in detail as well as formation flight control strategies which are validated in experimental platforms. It aims at helping students and academics alike to better understand what coordination and flight formation control can make possible. Several novel methods are presented: - controllability and observability of multi-agent systems; - robust consensus; - flight formation control; - stability of formations over noisy networks; which generate solutions of guaranteed performance for UAV Flight Formation. Contents 1. Introduction, J.A. Guerrero. 2. Theoretical Preliminaries, J.A. Guerrero. 3. Multiagent Coordination Strategies, J.A. Guerrero, R. Lozano, M.W. Spong, N. Chopra. 4. Robust Control Design for Multiagent Systems with Parametric Uncertainty, J.A. Guerrero, G. Romero. 5. On Adaptive and Robust Controlled Synchronization of Networked Robotic Systems on Strongly Connected Graphs, Y.-C. Liu, N. Chopra. 6. Modeling and Control of Mini UAV, G. Flores Colunga, J.A. Guerrero, J. Escareño, R. Lozano. 7. Flight Formation Control Strategies for Mini UAVs, J.A. Guerrero. 8. Formation Based on Potential Functions, L. García, A. Dzul. 9. Quadrotor Vision-Based Control, J.E. Gomez-Balderas, J.A. Guerrero, S. SALAZAR, R. Lozano, P. Castillo. 10. Toward Vision-Based Coordination of Quadrotor Platoons, L.R. García Carrillo, J.A. Guerrero, R. Lozano. 11. Optimal Guidance for Rotorcraft Platoon Formation Flying in Wind Fields, J.A. Guerrero, Y. Bestaoui, R. Lozano. 12. Impact of Wireless Medium Access Protocol on the Quadrotor Formation Control, J.A. Guerrero, Y. Challal, P. Castillo. 13. MAC Protocol for Wireless Communications, A. Mendez, M. Panduro, O. Elizarraras, D. Covarrubias. 14. Optimization of a Scannable Pattern for Bidimensional Antenna Arrays to Provide Maximum Performance, A. Reyna, M.A. Panduro, A. Mendez.

This book highlights the prevention of possible accidents and crashes of aircrafts by analyzing the many factors that affect such events. It includes the theoretical study of known ideas and concepts, as well as a set of new methods and mathematical models. It contains factual information to investigate famous disasters and aviation accidents with aircrafts. The book proposes methods and models that can be the basis in developing guidance material for decision-making by the flight crew and experts in air traffic control. Some of the contents presented in this book are also useful in the design and operation of data transmission systems of aircraft. The book is intended for engineering and technical specialists engaged in the development, manufacturing and operations of onboard radio electronic systems of aircraft and ground-based radio engineering support for flights, as well as graduate students and senior students of radio engineering specialties. It is useful to researchers and managers whose activities are related to air traffic control.