Integrated multiple-model adaptive fault identification and reconfigurable fault-tolerant control for Lead-Wing close formation systems

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the attitude and position tracking control problem for Lead-Wing close formation systems in the presence of loss of effectiveness and lock-in-place or hardover failure. In close formation flight, Wing unmanned aerial vehicle movements are influenced by vortex effects of the neighbouring Lead unmanned aerial vehicle. This situation allows modelling of aerodynamic coupling vortex-effects and linearisation based on optimal close formation geometry. Linearised Lead-Wing close formation model is transformed into nominal robust H-infinity models with respect to Mach hold, Heading hold, and Altitude hold autopilots; static feedback H-infinity controller is designed to guarantee effective tracking of attitude and position while manoeuvring Lead unmanned aerial vehicle. Based on H-infinity control design, an integrated multiple-model adaptive fault identification and reconfigurable fault-tolerant control scheme is developed to guarantee asymptotic stability of close-loop systems, error signal boundedness, and attitude and position tracking properties. Simulation results for Lead-Wing close formation systems validate the efficiency of the proposed integrated multiple-model adaptive control algorithm.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple-model fault identification
• adaptive reconfigurable fault-tolerant control
• H-infinity control
• Lead-Wing close formation systems

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Associate Editor and the reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions, which have helped to improve the quality and clarity of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 61773201], [grant number 61622304], [grant number 61673207]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number NE2014202]; Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions; Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Province; and Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province [grant number KYCX17_0269].

Notes on contributors

Chun Liu

Chun Liu received the B.S. degree in Automation and the M.S. degree in Control Theory and Control Engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China, in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Now he is pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the College of Automation Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China. His current research interests include fault diagnosis and fault tolerant control for multi-agent systems and formation systems.

Bin Jiang

Bin Jiang received the Ph.D. degree in Automatic Control from Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, in 1995. He had ever been a postdoctoral fellow, a research fellow and a visiting professor in Singapore, France, USA and Canada, respectively. He is currently a Chair Professor of Cheung Kong Scholar Program with the Ministry of Education and the Dean of the College of Automation Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China. He currently serves as an Associate Editor or an Editorial Board Member for a number of journals such as IEEE Trans. On Control Systems Technology; IEEE Trans. On Fuzzy Systems; Int. J. of Control, Automation and Systems; Nonlinear Analysis: Hybrid Systems; Int. J. of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science; Acta Automatica Sinica; Journal of Astronautics. He is a senior member of IEEE, Chair of Control Systems Chapter in IEEE Nanjing Section, and a member of IFAC Technical Committee on Fault Detection, Supervision, and Safety of Technical Processes. His research interests include fault diagnosis and fault tolerant control and their applications.

Ke Zhang

Ke Zhang received the Ph.D. degree in Control Theory and Engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China, in 2012. He is currently an Associate Professor of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research interests include fault diagnosis and fault tolerant control for dynamical systems and their applications.