Browsing by Author "Zhang, Qian"

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    Disturbance observer-based backstepping terminal sliding mode aeroelastic control of airfoils
    (MDPI, 2024-10-25) Liu, Shiqian; Yang, Congjie; Zhang, Qian; Whidborne, James F
    This paper studies aeroelastic control for a two-dimensional airfoil–flap system with unknown gust disturbances and model uncertainties. Open loop limit cycle oscillation (LCO) happens at the post-flutter speed. The structural stiffness and quasi-steady and unsteady aerodynamic loads of the aeroelastic system are represented by nonlinear models. To robustly suppress aeroelastic vibration within a finite time, a backstepping terminal sliding-mode control (BTSMC) is proposed. In addition, a learning rate (LR) is incorporated into the BTSMC to adjust how fast the aeroelastic response converges to zero. In order to overcome the fact that the BTSMC design is dependent on prior knowledge, a nonlinear disturbance observer (DO) is designed to estimate the variable observable disturbances. The closed-loop aeroelastic control system has proven to be globally asymptotically stable and converges within a finite time using Lyapunov theory. Simulation results of an aeroelastic two-dimensional airfoil with both trailing-edge (TE) and leading-edge (LE) control surfaces show that the proposed DO-BTSMC is effective for flutter suppression, even when subjected to gusts and parameter uncertainties.
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    Observer based incremental backstepping terminal sliding-mode control with learning rate for a multi-vectored propeller airship
    (Elsevier, 2023-07-11) Liu, Shi Qian; Whidborne, James F.; Lyv, Wei zhi; Zhang, Qian
    The problem of finite-time trajectory tracking control for a multivectored propeller airship with model parameter uncertainties and unknown disturbances is addressed in the paper. In order to obtain a fast transient response and finite time convergence without singularity, an incremental backstepping nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is designed to track desired trajectory within finite time. To overcome the limitation of backstepping terminal sliding-mode control design being dependant on prior knowledge, a nonlinear disturbance-observer is designed to estimate the external observable disturbances. Meanwhile, to reduce system chattering when the tracking error reaches the sliding mode surface, an adaptive learning rate design is proposed for the terminal sliding mode controller such that the tracking error approaches the sliding mode surface at a low speed and so the system chattering is restrained. The closed-loop trajectory tracking control system is proved to be stable and finite time convergence by using Lyapunov theory. The results are compared with traditional backstepping sliding mode control and different learning rate based control design, and they demonstrate the averaged tracking error in altitude and pitch motion is reduced more than 30% by using the disturbance-observer based incremental backstepping terminal sliding mode controller for the multivectored propeller airship to execute a realistic trajectory tracking mission, even in the presence of aerodynamic coefficient uncertainties, unknown disturbances.