Gust Energy Extraction for Mini and Micro Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles

This paper discusses energy extraction from atmospheric turbulence by small- and micro- uninhabited aerial vehicles. A nonlinear longitudinal dynamic model of a glider with elevators as the sole control input is used for the aircraft and feedback control laws for energy extraction are discussed. Using current measurements of wind speed and gradient the state which maximizes the gain in total energy is computed. A state feedback controller uses elevator input to regulate states to the optimal values. The state feedback control law is computed using LQR synthesis, and the state and input weight matrices which maximize energy gain are found using a search method. Simulation results of flights through sinusoidal gust fields and a thermal field show the performance of the proposed approach.

[1]  Michael J. Allen.  Guidance and Control of an Autonomous Soaring Vehicle with Flight Test Results , 2007 .

[2]  Taras Kiceniuk.  CALCULATIONS ON SOARING SINK , 2001 .

[3]  Yiyuan Zhao,et al.  Energy-Efficient Trajectories of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Flying through Thermals , 2005 .

[4]  Yiyuan Zhao,et al.  Minimum fuel powered dynamic soaring of unmanned aerial vehicles utilizing wind gradients , 2004 .

[5]  G. Sachs,et al.  SHEAR WIND STRENGTH REQUIRED FOR DYNAMIC SOARING AT RIDGES , 2001 .

[6]  Mark B. Boslough.  Autonomous Dynamic Soaring Platform for Distributed Mobile Sensor Arrays , 2002 .

[7]  G. Sachs.  Minimum shear wind strength required for dynamic soaring of albatrosses , 2004 .

[8]  Peter Lissaman,et al.  Neutral Energy Cycles for a Vehicle in Sinusoidal and Turbulent Vertical Gusts , 2007 .

[9]  J. Hedrick,et al.  Optimal Flight Paths for Soaring Flight , 1975 .

[10]  William H Phillips.  Propulsive effects due to flight through turbulence , 1975 .

[11]  John H. Cochrane,et al.  MacCREADY THEORY WITH UNCERTAIN LIFT AND LIMITED ALTITUDE , 1999 .

[12]  J. L. de Jong.  The "Convex-Combination Approach": a Geometric Approach to the Optimization of Sailplane Trajectories , 1984 .

[13]  C. Pennycuick.  Gust soaring as a basis for the flight of petrels and albatrosses (Procellariiformes) , 2002 .

[14]  Ilan Kroo,et al.  Control Law Design for Improving UAV Performance Using Wind Turbulence , 2006 .

[15]  Yiyuan Zhao,et al.  Optimal patterns of glider dynamic soaring , 2004 .

[16]  Jozsef Gedeon.  DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF DOLPHIN-STYLE THERMAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT , 1973 .

[17]  P. Lissaman.  Wind Energy Extraction by Birds and Flight Vehicles , 2005 .