Robust Model Predictive Control of PVTOL Aircraft∗∗This work was supported by Center of Excellence in Complex and Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (CoE-CNDS), established under TEQIP-II, Subcomponent 1.2.1.

Abstract

Abstract The paper presents a Tube Based Model Predictive Control (TB-MPC) strategy for robust stabilization of Planar Vertical Take-off and Landing (PVTOL) aircraft. PVTOL system is considered as a benchmark for investigating dynamics and control related issues for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Control problem of such a system is challenging due to its nonlinear dynamics and under actuated nature. Moreover, a major problem with these systems is the loss of controllability at certain points in the state space. To overcome these issues a unique approach has been used to approximate the nonlinear dynamics of the PVTOL system under additive disturbance with a set of linear systems to form polytopic linear differential inclusion (PLDI). Obtained approximation always satisfies the controllability condition. The proof of stability and feasibility for MPC has been derived. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is shown via simulations by stabilizing the aircraft, while rejecting the effects of disturbances.