Control & aerospace applications

III. Attitude hold autopilots.

Stabilization of aircraft pitch, roll and yaw angles. Multiloop

SISO design approach. Proporional and integrating control
laws.
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots
- attitude-hold autopilots (stabilizers / reference trackers of pitch, roll and
yaw angles) are essential first-level automatic control (i.e. lost pilots authority
- compare with dampers) loops of any FCS
- basic functionality of autopilots for piloted aircraft (for almost a century )
as well as control systems for UAVs

- if the attitude-hold circuits (codes) work properly, all subsequent loops

(VOR / GPS navigation, ILS, altitude select, vertical speed, ...) are easy to design
- careful design of the autopilots is therefore essential (transients, rise times,
robustness w.r.t. parameter changes and flight envelope variables, ...)
- design approaches: nested SISO loops (with pre-designed separate dampers),
or MIMO design (with integrated dampers functionality LQ control to be
discussed later, H2/Hinf synthesis etc.)
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Pitch autopilot: signal diagram

pitch angle reference

(by pilot or
higher-level controls flight model

variables
- vertical speed, v

flight
altitude select, ... delta_TH A/C alpha
delta_EL theta
K_AP LONG q

K_damp

Dead Zone

K_alpha_limiter

K_AP ... is just a gain (proportional controller) sufficient? How about PI controller ...
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

A remark on alpha feedback and statically unstable aircraft ...

- the effect of decreasing stability margin of the LONG equations can be illustrated by artificially
introduced positive feedback alpha -> EL
- simulates statically-unstable A/C: stabilization effect of the A/C (tail surfaces mainly) with
alpha is insufficient. pitching moment curve has positive slope (for some alpha range).
note the exponentially-unstable mode + 3rd mode oscillation (as fast as PHUG, as damped as SP):

- adversely: alpha-feedback is used to stabilize statically-unstable A/C (nowadays just

fighters but who knows for future ... ). Reference: Stevens, Lewis, Aircraft control and
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Pitch autopilot: proportional vs. PI control law

K_AP ... is just a gain (proportional controller) sufficient? How about PI controller ...
- P controller (K = 2) green, PI controller ( K = 2*(1+0.1/s) ) blue. Step response.
Step Response Step Response
From: In(1) To: theta From: In(1) To: theta
1.4 1.4

1.2 1.2

1 1

0.8 0.8

Amplitude
Amplitude

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 50 100 150
Time (sec) Time (sec)

- similar situation for constant disturbance (try step to thrust input, simulating front/rear wind)
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Pitch autopilot: proportional vs. PI control law

- similar situation for constant disturbance (try step to thrust input, simulating front/rear wind)
- P controller (K = 2) green, PI controller ( K = 2*(1+0.1/s) ) blue. Step response in thrust.
Step Response
From: In(1) To: theta
0.35

0.3

0.25

0.2
Amplitude

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Time (sec)
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Pitch autopilot: interaction with pitch damper

- pre-designed pitch damper pre-determines, to considerble extent, achievable performance of

the pitch-angle stabilizer (pitch autopilot) overshoot, settling time, gain/phase margins, ...
- tedious re-designs of already computed controllers (pitch damper, in this case) are often
required, during this loop-by-loop procedure, in order to achieve acceptable performance
- K_damp = 0.5 K_damp = 1
(... well, best results I got , for comparable maximum EL deflection and gain / phase margins)

- this trouble can be avoided / reduced if advanced MIMO design procedures are used
(e.g. LQ control)
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Bank (roll) autopilot: signal diagram

bank angle reference

(by pilot or
higher-level controls
flight model
- turn / heading select,
NAV / VOR / ILS, ... beta
phi
K_AP delta_AIL
A/C psi
delta_RUD
LAT p
r

K
WO K

K_AP ... is just a gain (proportional controller) sufficient? How about PI controller ... the same story ...
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Bank (roll) autopilot: step response (in reference bank angle), P controller
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Bank (roll) autopilot: step response (in reference bank angle), PI controller
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Yaw autopilot heading select: signal diagram

flight model
beta
phi
K_AP K_AP delta_AIL
A/C psi
Saturation
delta_RUD
LAT p
r

K
WO K

K
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Yaw autopilot heading select

- two loops added on top of bank autopilot for coordinated (correct) turn
- yaw-angle (heading) loop, giving setpoint for bank autopilot (mind the
artificially added saturation to avoid excessive bank angles for large yaw
angle setpoint changes
- beta stabilization for turn coordination (beta should be zero, assuring zero
on-board side acceleration)
- roll angle and yaw rate are given for coordinated turn by the equation

(independent of A/C physical parameters competely ...)

- the beta stabilizer has also other purposes landing at side-wind, OEI (one
engine inoperative) flight, ...
 Stabilization of attitude angles: attitude hold autopilots

Yaw autopilot: step response (in reference bank angle), PI controller

Stabilizace kurzu
50


0

- yaw-angle (heading) loop, giving setpoint

for bank autopilot -50
angle ()
- artificially added saturation to avoid
excessive bank angles for large yaw
angle setpoint changes -100

- beta stabilization
-150

- P or PI ontrol? A bit tricky.

- REF vs. DIST ... -200
- mind ainti-windup ... 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
time (s)