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Designing a new or modifying an existing flight vehicle is a complex, time-consuming process that brings both technical and
process challenges. For example, how can engineers quickly determine which geometric configuration best satisfies performance
requirements? When several different groups are responsible for different parts of the workflow (evaluating geometric
configurations, designing control laws, building a model), and each group uses different tools, how can the teams communicate
and work together efficiently to meet deadlines?
Using the design of a new light aircraft1 as an example, this article shows how you can use MathWorks products to address
these and other aircraft design challenges.
The design process is iterative; engineers will try out many vehicle configurations before deciding on the final one. Ideally,
iterations will occur before any hardware is built. One challenge here is to go through the iterations quickly. Typically, different
groups have to work on different steps of the process. Effective collaboration among these groups and the right set of tools are
essential to addressing this challenge.
While wind tunnel tests and flight tests provide high-fidelity results, they are expensive and time- consuming, as they must be
performed on the actual hardware. These methods are best used when the aircraft's geometry is finalized. Analytical prediction
is a quicker and less expensive way to estimate aerodynamic characteristics in the early stages of design.
We will use Digital Datcom, a popular software program for analytical prediction developed by the U.S. Air Force as a digital
version of its Data Compendium (DATCOM). This software is now publicly available and can be downloaded from several Web
sites, including http://www.va.afrl.af.mil/org/VAC/VACA/vaca_index.html.
We first create a Digital Datcom input file that defines the geometric configuration of our aircraft and the flight conditions that
we will need to obtain the aerodynamic coefficients (Figure 2).
Digital Datcom provides the vehicle's aerodynamic stability and control derivatives and coefficients at specified flight conditions.
We must import this data into MATLAB for analysis. This process would be time-consuming if we had to import all the
aerodynamic coefficients from the Digital Datcom output file manually. With Aerospace Toolbox, however, we can bring
multiple Digital Datcom output files into MATLAB with just one command—there is no need for manual input. (Figure 3). We can
run multiple configurations through Digital Datcom and then compare the results in MATLAB.
Flight control engineers can gain insight into the vehicle's geometric configuration by examining stability and control
derivatives—easy to do once those metrics are imported into MATLAB. In our example, we need to check whether the vehicle is
inherently stable. We do this by checking whether the pitching moment described by the corresponding coefficient, Cm,
provides a restoring moment for the aircraft. A restoring moment tends to return the aircraft angle of attack to zero.
In configuration 1 (Figure 4), Cm is negative for all angles of attack, which means that this configuration will not provide a
restoring moment for negative angles of attack and will not provide the flight characteristics that we are looking for.
Configuration 2 fixes this problem by moving the center of gravity forward. A restoring moment is available for most angles of
attack.
Figure 4. Visual analysis of Digital Datcom pitching
moment coefficient, showing that configuration 1
will not provide the desired aircraft characteristics,
but configuration 2 will. Click on image to see
enlarged view.
Equations of motion, which calculate vehicle position and attitude based on forces and moments acting on the vehicle
Forces and moments, which calculate aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the vehicle, as well as gravity force and
thrust
Actuator positions, which calculate actuator displacements based on actuator commands
Environment, which simulates environmental effects, including wind disturbances, gravity, and atmosphere
Sensors, which model the behavior of the measurement devices that provide inputs to the control laws
In our example, we first want to evaluate the aircraft's longitudinal dynamics. We begin by building an equations-of-motion
model using a 3DOF block from the Equations of Motion library in Aerospace Blockset (Figure 5). This model will help us
determine whether the flight vehicle is longitudinally stable and controllable. We design our subsystem to have the same
interface as a six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) version. Once we are happy with three DOF performance, stability, and
controllability, we can easily implement the six DOF version, iterating on the other control surface geometries until we achieve
the desired behavior from the aircraft.
To calculate the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on our vehicle, we use a Digital Datcom Forces and the Moments block
from Aerospace Blockset (Figure 6). This block uses a structure that Aerospace Toolbox creates when it imports aerodynamic
coefficients from Digital Datcom. As a result, we do not have to create multiple look-up tables and then combine their outputs.
Figure 6. The Digital Datcom Forces and Moment
block from Aerospace Blockset. This block, other
blocks from Aerospace Blockset, and subsystems
containing Aerospace Blockset blocks are
highlighted in blue.
We also use blocks from Aerospace Blockset to create actuator, sensor, and environment models (Figures 7, 8, and 9,
respectively).
Once the model is complete, we can show it to colleagues, including those who do not have Simulink, by using Simulink
Report Generator to export the model to a Web view. A Web view is an interactive HTML replica of the model that lets you
navigate model hierarchy and check the properties of subsystems, blocks, and signals.
With Simulink Control Design we can tune the controllers directly in Simulink using a range of tools and techniques.
Using the Simulink Control Design interface, we set up the control problem by specifying two controller blocks, closed-loop input
and output signals—altitude command and sensed altitude, respectively—and the steady-state or trim condition.
Using this information, Simulink Control Design automatically computes linear approximations of the model and identifies
feedback loops to be used in the design. To design the controllers for the inner and outer loops, we use root locus and bode
plots for the open loops and a step response plot for the closed-loop response (Figure 12).
We then interactively tune the compensators for the inner and outer loops using these plots. Because the plots update in real
time as we tune the compensators, we can see the coupling effects that these changes have on other loops and on the
closed-loop response.
To make the multi-loop design more systematic, we use a sequential loop closure technique. This technique lets us
incrementally take into account the dynamics of the other loops during the design process. With Simulink Control Design, we
configure the inner loop to have an additional loop opening at the output of the outer loop controller (C1 in Figure 13). This
approach decouples the inner loop from the outer loop and simplifies the inner-loop controller design. After designing the inner
loop, we design the outer loop controller. Figure 14 shows the resulting tuned compensator design.
There are several ways to tune the controller in Simulink Control Design. For example, you can use a graphical approach, and
interactively move controller gain, poles, and zeros until you get a satisfactory response (Figure 14). Additionally, you can use
Simulink Response Optimization within Simulink Control Design to tune the controller automatically. After you specify
frequency domain requirements, such as gain margin and phase margin and time domain requirements, Simulink Response
Optimization automatically tunes controller parameters to satisfy those requirements. Once we have developed an acceptable
controller design, the control blocks in the Simulink model are automatically updated.
We run our nonlinear simulation with flight control logic and check that the controller's performance is acceptable. Figure 15
shows the results from a closed-loop simulation of our nonlinear Simulink model for a requested altitude increase from 2,000
meters to 2,050 meters. Even though a pilot requests a step change in altitude, the actual controller altitude request rate is
limited to provide a comfortable and safe ride for the passengers.
We can now use these simulation results to determine whether our aircraft design met its performance requirements. The
requirement called for the climb rate to be above 2 m/s. As we can see, the aircraft climbed from 2,000 to 2,050 meters in less
then 20 seconds, providing a climb rate higher than 2.5 m/s. Therefore, this particular geometric configuration and controller
design meet our performance requirements. If we had not met the requirements, we would have to redesign our controller or
change the geometric configuration of the aircraft.
In addition to traditional time plots, we visualize simulation results using the Aerospace Blockset interface to FlightGear (Figure
16).
Figure 16. Visualizing simulation results using the
Aerospace Blockset interface to FlightGear.
We can also use the Aerospace Toolbox interface to FlightGear to play back MATLAB data-either simulation results or actual
flight test data.
Summary
In this article we showed how you can rapidly develop the initial design of your flight vehicle and evaluate different geometric
configurations using Digital Datcom and Aerospace Toolbox. You can then rapidly create a flight simulation of your vehicle using
Simulink and Aerospace Blockset and design flight control laws using Simulink Control Design. This approach enables you to
determine the optimal geometrical configuration of your vehicle and estimate its performance and handling qualities well before
any hardware is built, reducing design costs and eliminating errors. In addition, using a single tool chain helps facilitate
communication among different groups and accelerates design time.
Resources
You can open a Web view of the Simulink model. To open the model you need Microsoft Internet Explorer with an SVG plug-in
or Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or later. You can download a plug-in. Scroll to the bottom of the first install window to select an
operating system and language. You can download the actual Simulink model, output of Digital Datcom file, and file with
controller design on MATLAB Central.
1
Cannon, M, Gabbard, M, Meyer, T, Morrison, S, Skocik, M, Woods, D. "Swineworks D-200 Sky Hogg Design Proposal."
AIAA/General Dynamics Corporation Team Aircraft Design Competition, 1991-1992.
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