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DESIGN OF AN ADAPTIVE AUTOPILOT FOR AN EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE

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Date Issued:
2008
Abstract/Description:
This study investigates the use of a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) direct approach to solve the attitude control problem of an Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) during its boost phase of flight. The adaptive autopilot design is based on Lyapunov Stability Theory and provides a useful means for controlling the ELV in the presence of environmental and dynamical uncertainties. Several different basis functions are employed to approximate the nonlinear parametric uncertainties in the system dynamics. The control system is designed so that the desire dresponse to a reference model would be tracked by the closed-loop system. The reference model is obtained via the feedback linearization technique applied to the nonlinear ELV dynamics. The adaptive control method is then applied to a representative ELV longitudinal motion, specifically the 6th flight of Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle (AC-6) in 1965. The simulation results presented are compared to that of the actual AC-6 post-flight trajectory reconstruction. Recommendations are made for modification and future applications of the method for several other ELV dynamics issues, such as control saturation, engine inertia, flexible body dynamics, and sloshing of liquid fuels.
Title: DESIGN OF AN ADAPTIVE AUTOPILOT FOR AN EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE.
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Name(s): Plaisted, Clinton, Author
Leonessa, Alexander, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2008
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: This study investigates the use of a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) direct approach to solve the attitude control problem of an Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) during its boost phase of flight. The adaptive autopilot design is based on Lyapunov Stability Theory and provides a useful means for controlling the ELV in the presence of environmental and dynamical uncertainties. Several different basis functions are employed to approximate the nonlinear parametric uncertainties in the system dynamics. The control system is designed so that the desire dresponse to a reference model would be tracked by the closed-loop system. The reference model is obtained via the feedback linearization technique applied to the nonlinear ELV dynamics. The adaptive control method is then applied to a representative ELV longitudinal motion, specifically the 6th flight of Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle (AC-6) in 1965. The simulation results presented are compared to that of the actual AC-6 post-flight trajectory reconstruction. Recommendations are made for modification and future applications of the method for several other ELV dynamics issues, such as control saturation, engine inertia, flexible body dynamics, and sloshing of liquid fuels.
Identifier: CFE0002006 (IID), ucf:47616 (fedora)
Note(s): 2008-05-01
M.S.A.E.
Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Mechanical Materials and Aerospace Engineering
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): Adaptive Control
Model Reference Control
Launch Vehicles
Control Systems
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002006
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

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