Pub Date : 2024-04-26DOI: 10.1108/aeat-05-2023-0138
Yansen Wu, Dongsheng Wen, Anmin Zhao, Haobo Liu, Ke Li
Purpose This study aims to study the thermal identification issue by harvesting both solar energy and atmospheric thermal updraft for a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) and its electric energy performance under continuous soaring conditions. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a specific dynamic model for SUAVs in both soaring and cruise modes. The support vector machine regression (SVMR) is adopted to estimate the thermal position, and it is combined with feedback control to implement the SUAV soaring in the updraft. Then, the optimal path model is built based on the graph theory considering the existence of several thermals distributed in the environment. The procedure is proposed to estimate the electricity cost of SUAV during flight as well as soaring, and making use of dynamic programming to maximize electric energy. Findings The simulation results present the integrated control method could allow SUAV to soar with the updraft. In addition, the proposed approach allows the SUAV to fly to the destination using distributed thermals while reducing the electric energy use. Originality/value Two simplified dynamic models are constructed for simulation considering there are different flight mode. Besides, the data-driven-based SVMR method is proposed to support SUAV soaring. Furthermore, instead of using length, the energy cost coefficient in optimization problem is set as electric power, which is more suitable for SUAV because its advantage is to transfer the three-dimensional path planning problem into the two-dimensional.
{"title":"Intelligent soaring and path planning for solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles","authors":"Yansen Wu, Dongsheng Wen, Anmin Zhao, Haobo Liu, Ke Li","doi":"10.1108/aeat-05-2023-0138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat-05-2023-0138","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose\u0000This study aims to study the thermal identification issue by harvesting both solar energy and atmospheric thermal updraft for a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) and its electric energy performance under continuous soaring conditions.\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The authors develop a specific dynamic model for SUAVs in both soaring and cruise modes. The support vector machine regression (SVMR) is adopted to estimate the thermal position, and it is combined with feedback control to implement the SUAV soaring in the updraft. Then, the optimal path model is built based on the graph theory considering the existence of several thermals distributed in the environment. The procedure is proposed to estimate the electricity cost of SUAV during flight as well as soaring, and making use of dynamic programming to maximize electric energy.\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The simulation results present the integrated control method could allow SUAV to soar with the updraft. In addition, the proposed approach allows the SUAV to fly to the destination using distributed thermals while reducing the electric energy use.\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000Two simplified dynamic models are constructed for simulation considering there are different flight mode. Besides, the data-driven-based SVMR method is proposed to support SUAV soaring. Furthermore, instead of using length, the energy cost coefficient in optimization problem is set as electric power, which is more suitable for SUAV because its advantage is to transfer the three-dimensional path planning problem into the two-dimensional.\u0000","PeriodicalId":55540,"journal":{"name":"Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140652342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.1108/aeat-11-2023-0302
Metin Uzun
Purpose This research study aims to minimize autonomous flight cost and maximize autonomous flight performance of a slung load carrying rotary wing mini unmanned aerial vehicle (i.e. UAV) by stochastically optimizing autonomous flight control system (AFCS) parameters. For minimizing autonomous flight cost and maximizing autonomous flight performance, a stochastic design approach is benefitted over certain parameters (i.e. gains of longitudinal PID controller of a hierarchical autopilot system) meanwhile lower and upper constraints exist on these design parameters. Design/methodology/approach A rotary wing mini UAV is produced in drone Laboratory of Iskenderun Technical University. This rotary wing UAV has three blades main rotor, fuselage, landing gear and tail rotor. It is also able to carry slung loads. AFCS variables (i.e. gains of longitudinal PID controller of hierarchical autopilot system) are stochastically optimized to minimize autonomous flight cost capturing rise time, settling time and overshoot during longitudinal flight and to maximize autonomous flight performance. Found outcomes are applied during composing rotary wing mini UAV autonomous flight simulations. Findings By using stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads over previously mentioned gains longitudinal PID controller when there are lower and upper constraints on these variables, a high autonomous performance having rotary wing mini UAV is obtained. Research limitations/implications Approval of Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Republic of Türkiye is essential for real-time rotary wing mini UAV autonomous flights. Practical implications Stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads is properly valuable for recovering autonomous flight performance cost of any rotary wing mini UAV. Originality/value Establishing a novel procedure for improving autonomous flight performance cost of a rotary wing mini UAV carrying slung loads and introducing a new process performing stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads meanwhile there exists upper and lower bounds on design variables.
{"title":"Autonomous flight performance maximization for slung load carrying rotary wing mini unmanned aerial vehicle","authors":"Metin Uzun","doi":"10.1108/aeat-11-2023-0302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat-11-2023-0302","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose\u0000This research study aims to minimize autonomous flight cost and maximize autonomous flight performance of a slung load carrying rotary wing mini unmanned aerial vehicle (i.e. UAV) by stochastically optimizing autonomous flight control system (AFCS) parameters. For minimizing autonomous flight cost and maximizing autonomous flight performance, a stochastic design approach is benefitted over certain parameters (i.e. gains of longitudinal PID controller of a hierarchical autopilot system) meanwhile lower and upper constraints exist on these design parameters.\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000A rotary wing mini UAV is produced in drone Laboratory of Iskenderun Technical University. This rotary wing UAV has three blades main rotor, fuselage, landing gear and tail rotor. It is also able to carry slung loads. AFCS variables (i.e. gains of longitudinal PID controller of hierarchical autopilot system) are stochastically optimized to minimize autonomous flight cost capturing rise time, settling time and overshoot during longitudinal flight and to maximize autonomous flight performance. Found outcomes are applied during composing rotary wing mini UAV autonomous flight simulations.\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000By using stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads over previously mentioned gains longitudinal PID controller when there are lower and upper constraints on these variables, a high autonomous performance having rotary wing mini UAV is obtained.\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000Approval of Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Republic of Türkiye is essential for real-time rotary wing mini UAV autonomous flights.\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000Stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads is properly valuable for recovering autonomous flight performance cost of any rotary wing mini UAV.\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000Establishing a novel procedure for improving autonomous flight performance cost of a rotary wing mini UAV carrying slung loads and introducing a new process performing stochastic optimization of AFCS for rotary wing mini UAVs carrying slung loads meanwhile there exists upper and lower bounds on design variables.\u0000","PeriodicalId":55540,"journal":{"name":"Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140655515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}