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Vectorial backstepping method–based trajectory tracking control for an under-actuated stratospheric airship

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2017

S. Q. Liu*
Affiliation:
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
S. J. Gong
Affiliation:
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Y. X. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Z. R. Lu
Affiliation:
Xi'an Flight Automatic Control Institute of Chinese Aviation Industry, Xi'an, China

Abstract

A new trajectory tracking control approach for an under-actuated stratospheric airship is proposed. There is a two-level structure of the proposed controller. A low-level controller based on non-linear vectorial backstepping method, with the rigid-body dynamics expressed on vector form, stabilises the attitude and velocity of the airship, while a high-level controller performs guidance and trajectory tracking task in the three-dimensional (3D) space. Furthermore, a control allocation module based on the active set algorithm is incorporated into the low-level controller to optimise the practical control inputs under constraints of actuator saturation. The closed-loop trajectory tracking control plant is proved to be globally exponentially stable through the Lyapunov theory. Finally, simulations show that the vectorial backstepping trajectory tracking controller can achieve desired tracking performances even if the airship is affected by parametric uncertainties and exogenous disturbances.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2017 

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