Reconfigurable flight control strategies using model predictive control

Tracking control for large amplitude manoeuvres in the presence of damages to the airframe and control surface is addressed. The control reconfiguration algorithm is based on model predictive control, a constrained reseding horizon optimization is solved under the constraints of hard limits of actuator position and rate saturation and critical aircraft state limits imposed by allowable structural loads. Changed stability and control derivatives of the damaged aircraft are identified online and used buy the receding horizon controller as internal model for prediction. An emphasis is given to incorporate handling quality specification according to MIL-STD-1797A. The results demonstrate the ability of the proposed scheme to maintain flight after a failure; trach the pilot commands despite loss of actuator effectiveness, and to coordinate the use of the remaining active control surfaces to provide the decoupling between the rotational axes. Finally the issue of the online (onboard) implementation of the constrained optimization is examined