Study on simulation and experiment of control for multiple launch rocket system by computed torque method

Poor dispersion characteristics of rockets, due to the orientation of the launcher for multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) departing from that intended, have always restricted the MLRS development for several decades. Orienting control is a key technique to improve the dispersion characteristics of rockets. The purpose of this paper is to propose an orienting control method for launcher of the MLRS in a salvo firing. Because the MLRS is a typical nonlinear system, the major difficulty in designing the orienting controller lies in the nonlinearity. To deal with the nonlinearity, the concept of computed torque control is introduced. The MLRS equation of motion is established using Lagrange method. The inner loop feedforward and the outer loop feedback are adopted to design the controllers for the azimuth and elevation axes of MLRS. By combining the inner and outer control loops together, the PID-computed torque controller is designed. The numerical simulation is implemented to show the control performance, and then, the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed controller are demonstrated by the firing experiment of a salvo of three rockets.