Robust control design for active flutter suppression

Julian Theis, Harald Pfifer, Peter Seiler

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Flutter is an unstable oscillation caused by the interaction of aerodynamics and structural dynamics. It can lead to catastrophic failure and therefore must be strictly avoided. Weight reduction and aerodynamically efficient high aspect ratio wing design reduce structural stiffness and thus reduce flutter speed. Consequently, the use of active control systems to counter these adverse aeroservoelastic effects becomes an increasingly important aspect for future flight control systems. The paper describes the process of designing a controller for active flutter suppression on a small, flexible unmanned aircraft. It starts from a grey- box model and highlights the importance of individual components such as actuators and computation devices. A systematic design procedure for an H∞-norm optimal controller that increases structural damping and suppresses flutter is then developed. A second key contribution is the development of thorough robustness tests for clearance in the absence of a high-fidelity nonlinear model.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference
PublisherAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA
ISBN (Print)9781624103902
StatePublished - Jan 1 2016
EventAIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, 2016 - San Diego, United States
Duration: Jan 4 2016Jan 8 2016

Publication series

NameAIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference

Other

OtherAIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period1/4/161/8/16

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