Output feedback polytopic LPV Tube-RMPC control for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles

This paper proposes an output feedback tube-based robust model predictive control (Tube-RMPC) scheme for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles. Firstly, the polytopic linear parameter varying (LPV) model is established by Jacobian linearisation and tensor-product (T-P) modelling for the longitudinal dynamics. Secondly, a robust polytopic state observer is designed to estimate the attack angle, pitch angle and pitch rate by utilising the limited information of altitude and velocity. Then, the Tube-RMPC controller satisfying all vertices of polytopic LPV model is presented. Wherein, estimation error and control error are bounded by two robust positively invariant sets respectively. The Tube-RMPC controller ensures that actual states lie in a tube centred with the nominal states. The input constraints of original system are guaranteed by employing tighter constraints for nominal system. Finally, simulation results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method for hypersonic vehicles.