Evaluation of a sliding mode fault tolerant controller on the MuPAL-α research aircraft

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordThis paper presents piloted flight test results of a sliding mode fault tolerant control scheme implemented on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's MuPAL-α research aircraft. These results represent unique piloted validation tests of a sliding mode fault tolerant control allocation scheme on a full-scale aircraft operating in the presence of actuator faults. The control law used here does not require the presence of a fault detection and isolation unit and therefore in the event of faults/failures, the actuator effectiveness levels are unknown. In the absence of this information, a fixed control allocation mechanism has been used in order to retain nominal fault-free performance. The control scheme has been implemented on the lateral-directional motion and incorporated within the experimental fly-by-wire system. Piloted flight test results show that close to nominal tracking performance can be maintained despite the presence of unknown actuator faults as well as actuator uncertainties.European UnionJapan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organizatio