Neural-Networks Control for Hover to High-Speed-Level-Flight Transition of Ducted Fan UAV With Provable Stability

Abstract

In this paper, we focus on the transition control of a ducted fan vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). To achieve a steady transition from hover to high-speed flight, a neural-networks-based controller is proposed to learn the system dynamics and compensate for the tracking error between the aircraft dynamics and the desired dynamic performance. In prior, we derive the nonlinear system model of the aircraft full-envelope dynamics. Then, we propose a novel neural-networks-based control scheme and apply it on the underactuated aircraft system. Key features of the proposed controller consist of projection operator, state predictor and dynamic-formed adaptive input. It is proved and guaranteed that the tracking errors of both state predictor and neural-networks weights are upper bounded during the whole neural-networks learning procedure. The very adaptive input is formed into a dynamic structure that helps achieve a reliable fast convergence performance of the proposed controller, especially in highfrequency disturbance conditions. Consequently, the closed-loop system of the aircraft is able to track a certain trajectory with desired dynamic performance. Satisfactory results are obtained from both simulations and practical flight test in accomplishing the designed flight course. INDEX TERMS Ducted fan, fast convergence, high-speed flight, neural networks, transition control, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

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“…Cheng and Pei established a transition corridor based on the constraint of maintaining a fixed altitude [13]. They planned the desired velocity in the corridor and utilized an adaptive controller [14].…”

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“…The solution is a hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. This type of UAV can take off, land vertically like a multicopter, and transition to the fixed-wing mode for flight efficiency at a safe altitude [27][28][29][30][31][32]. The hybrid VTOL or usually just called VTOL UAV flight profile is illustrates in Fig.…”