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A new control scheme for an aerodynamic-surface-free tilt-rotor convertible UAV

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2023

M.Z. Mimouni Open the ORCID record for M.Z. Mimouni [Opens in a new window] ,
O. Araar Open the ORCID record for O. Araar [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Oudda  and
M. Haddad
M.Z. Mimouni
Affiliation:
Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj El Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
O. Araar*
Affiliation:
Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj El Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
A. Oudda
Affiliation:
Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj El Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
M. Haddad
Affiliation:
Ecole Militaire Polytechnique, Bordj El Bahri, Algiers, Algeria
*
Corresponding author: O. Araar; Email: oualid.araar@gmail.com
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Abstract

This paper is concerned with the design and control of a tilt-rotor UAV (TRUAV), with the purpose of simplifying the mechanical structure and transition handling. Previous works on TRUAVs control consider a different controller for each flight mode. Furthermore, two sets of actuators are used: propellers in the VTOL mode, and aerodynamic surfaces in the fixed-wing mode. In this work, a new design that does not contain any control surfaces is proposed. A new control strategy is also presented to accommodate this particularity. Unlike previous works, this strategy uses a single controller to handle both flight phases, making the transition between the two phases no longer an issue. Furthermore, such a characteristic makes the drone capable of following any flight trajectory, which is vital for applications such as the tracking of a ground target. Simulations, conducted on the full nonlinear model of the famous Zagi flying wing drone, showed the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy in tracking a typical trajectory profile with a smooth transition from VTOL to fixed-wing mode.

Keywords

Control-surface-free TRUAVTiltrotor UAVTrajectory trackingNon-linear controlIntegral-backsteppingConvertible UAV
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , First View , pp. 1 - 26
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

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