An MPC‐based position controller for a tilt‐rotor tricopter VTOL UAV. (1st August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Prach, Anna; Kayacan, Erdal
• Is Part Of: Optimal control applications and methods. Volume 39:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 343
• Page End: 356
• Publication Date: 2017-08-01
• Subjects: model predictive control -- tilt‐rotor tricopter -- VTOL UAV; Control theory -- Periodicals; Mathematical optimization -- Periodicals; 629.8312
• DOI: 10.1002/oca.2350
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-2087

Abstract

Summary: This study presents a novel framework, namely, the fusion of a conventional controller and a linear model predictive controller, for the position control of a tilt‐rotor tricopter. While the conventional controller in the outer loop is responsible for the position control, the inner‐loop model predictive control–based controller handles the angular dynamics and vertical body velocity. Furthermore, a novel control allocation algorithm for the proposed controller is introduced. In addition, this study also covers mathematical modeling and trim analysis of the tilt‐rotor tricopter dynamics. An evaluation of the designed control system is accomplished with a nonlinear 6‐degree‐of‐freedom simulation model of the tilt‐rotor tricopter in which realistic actuator limitations are considered. The efficiency of the proposed control algorithm is elaborated for a trajectory tracking problem where basic surveillance operation is considered. The simulation results show that the proposed model predictive controller is able to provide a satisfactory trajectory tracking performance under the realistic actuator limits.