Parametric Optimization Procedure for Robust Flight Control System Design

This paper is devoted to the parameter optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV) flight control laws. Optimization procedure is based on the ideas of mixed $H_2/H_{\infty}$ control of multi-model plants. By using this approach, some partial $H_2$-terms defining the performance of nominal and parametrically perturbed Flight Control System (FCS) responses to deterministic command signals in stochastic atmosphere as well as $H_{\infty}$-terms defining robustness of the FCS can be incorporated in the composite cost function. Special penalty function imposed on the location of closed-loop system's poles keeps the speed of response and oscillatory properties for both nominal and perturbed FCS in reasonable limits. That is the reason why this procedure may provide reasonable trade-off between the performance and robustness of FCS that are very important especially for UAV. Its practical importance is illustrated by case studies of lateral and longitudinal control of small UAV.