Robust Fuzzy MPC for Station-keeping of A Multi-vectored Propeller Airship Based on Path Following Method

Abstract

In this paper, a station-keeping controller is designed for a multi-vectored (four thrusts) propeller airship by using path following approach. Firstly, the nonlinear models of the airship are introduced, including kinematics and dynamics, and the T-S fuzzy model is derived using linearization. Then, the station-keeping controller is designed, which consists of two modules: a guidance loop and a robust model predictive control(MPC). The guidance loop uses the guidance-based path following(GBPF) principle to calculate the desired yaw rate and velocities of the airship, while the robust MPC calculates a feedback control law to track the desired yaw rate and velocities by solving linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Simulation results for the multi-vectored propeller airship are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.