Full Envelope Flight Control System Design and Optimization for a Tilt-Wing Aircraft

Abstract

Novel vertical take-off and landing advanced air mobility aircraft which are overactuated and transition between vertical and forward flight modes pose unique challenges for the design of safe and robust full-envelope fly-by-wire flight control systems. This paper presents a methodology for designing and optimizing a control system architecture for a tilt-wing urban air mobility concept. It features the total energy control system algorithm, which is extended to be applicable to hover and transitioning flight and explicit model following inner loops. Control system parameters are optimized using a genetic algorithm optimization scheme, subject to constraints on closed-loop dynamic stability and control response characteristics. Control system performance is demonstrated by simulation of lateral, longitudinal, and directional maneuvering for hover, transition, and forward flight conditions, followed by simulation of departure and arrival transitions while tracking a prescribed flightpath and speed profile in calm and turbulent air. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system architecture and the demonstrated optimization methodology.