Nonlinear Tracking Control and Structural Vibration Suppression for Aircraft Using Synthetic Jet Actuators

A synthetic jet actuator (SJA)-based control method is developed, which is rigorously proven to achieve accurate aircraft trajectory tracking control while simultaneously regulating limit cycle oscillations (LCO) in aircraft wings. To achieve the result, innovative tracking error system development is utilized along with a robust-inverse control structure. The robust-inverse control structure is utilized to compensate for the parametric uncertainty and nonlinearity inherent in the SJA mathematical model without the use of adaptive parameter estimation or function approximation schemes. After recasting the dynamics in a form amenable to control design, a nonlinear control law is developed, which achieves asymptotic trajectory tracking in the presence of external disturbances and structural disturbances due to LCO. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis is utilized to prove semi-global asymptotic trajectory tracking in the presence of LCO disturbances and parametric uncertainty in the SJA actuator model. Numerical simulation results are provided to demonstrate the capability of the proposed SJA-based control method to achieve simultaneous trajectory tracking and LCO regulation.