Unmanned Research Vehicle (URV): Development, Implementation, & Flight Test of a MIMO Digital Flight Control System Designed Using Quantitative Feedback Theory

Abstract

The Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) design technique, which has the ability to bridge the gap between theory and the real-world control design problem, is utilized in the design of a MIMO digital flight control system for an unmanned research vehicle (URV) that is presented in this paper. The design illustrates how the real-world knowledge of the plant to be controlled and the desired performance specifications can be utilized in trying to achieve a successful robust design for a nonlinear control problem. This paper presents some of the issues involved in developing, implementing, and flight testing a flight control system (FCS) designed using QFT. Achieving a successful FCS involves a number of steps: specification of the control problem, aircraft model data, theoretical flight control system design, implementation, ground testing, and flight test. The last three steps embody the practical engineering aspects that are vital to achieving a successful FCS. The main emphasis of this paper is on these steps. First, there is a brief explanation of the MIMO design QFT process. This is followed by a description of the steps involved in the implementation and testing of a QFT designed FCS. Thus, this presentation provides an overview of using robust control system design to increase quality in attempting to demonstrate the "Bridging the Gap" between control theory and the realities of a successful control system design. In facing the technological problems of the future, it is necessary that engineers of the future must be able to bridge the gap, i.e., this Bridging the Gap must be addressed to better prepare the engineers for the 21st century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADP010333

Entities

People

  • C. H. Houpis
  • S. J. Rasmussen

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Models
  • Aircrafts
  • Algorithms
  • Closed Loop Systems
  • Control Surfaces
  • Control Systems
  • Control Systems Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Flight Control Systems
  • Frequency
  • Identification
  • Multiple Input Multiple Output
  • Simulations
  • Transfer Functions
  • Unmanned Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Adaptive Control and Estimation with Uncertainty in Dynamic Systems.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Software Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - Autonomous System Control