Engineering topics

Calise, Anthony J.

Publications and source records attributed to Calise, Anthony J..

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS2015

Systems and Methods for Parameter Dependent Riccati Equation Approaches to Adaptive Control

Systems and methods for adaptive control are disclosed. The systems and methods can control uncertain dynamic systems. The control system can comprise a controller that employs a parameter dependent Riccati equation. The controller can produce a response that causes the state of the system to remain bounded. The control system can control both minimum phase and non-minimum phase systems. The control system can augment an existing, non-adaptive control design without modifying the gains employed in that design. The control system can also avoid the use of high gains in both the observer design and the adaptive control law.

Kim, Kilsoo↗

NASA NTRS2015

Systems and Methods for Derivative-Free Adaptive Control

An adaptive control system is disclosed. The control system can control uncertain dynamic systems. The control system can employ one or more derivative-free adaptive control architectures. The control system can further employ one or more derivative-free weight update laws. The derivative-free weight update laws can comprise a time-varying estimate of an ideal vector of weights. The control system of the present invention can therefore quickly stabilize systems that undergo sudden changes in dynamics, caused by, for example, sudden changes in weight. Embodiments of the present invention can also provide a less complex control system than existing adaptive control systems. The control system can control aircraft and other dynamic systems, such as, for example, those with non-minimum phase dynamics.

Yucelen, Tansel↗

NASA NTRS2007

Adaptive control system having hedge unit and related apparatus and methods

The invention includes an adaptive control system used to control a plant. The adaptive control system includes a hedge unit that receives at least one control signal and a plant state signal. The hedge unit generates a hedge signal based on the control signal, the plant state signal, and a hedge model including a first model having one or more characteristics to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt, and a second model not having the characteristic(s) to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt. The hedge signal is used in the adaptive control system to remove the effect of the characteristic from a signal supplied to an adaptation law unit of the adaptive control system so that the adaptive control system does not adapt to the characteristic in controlling the plant.

Johnson, Eric Norman↗

NASA NTRS2007

Adaptive Control of Truss Structures for Gossamer Spacecraft

Neural network-based adaptive control is considered for active control of a highly flexible truss structure which may be used to support solar sail membranes. The objective is to suppress unwanted vibrations in SAFE (Solar Array Flight Experiment) boom, a test-bed located at NASA. Compared to previous tests that restrained truss structures in planar motion, full three dimensional motions are tested. Experimental results illustrate the potential of adaptive control in compensating for nonlinear actuation and modeling error, and in rejecting external disturbances.

Yang, Bong-Jun↗

NASA NTRS2005

Adaptive Control for Microgravity Vibration Isolation System

Most active vibration isolation systems that try to a provide quiescent acceleration environment for space science experiments have utilized linear design methods. In this paper, we address adaptive control augmentation of an existing classical controller that employs a high-gain acceleration feedback together with a low-gain position feedback to center the isolated platform. The control design feature includes parametric and dynamic uncertainties because the hardware of the isolation system is built as a payload-level isolator, and the acceleration Sensor exhibits a significant bias. A neural network is incorporated to adaptively compensate for the system uncertainties, and a high-pass filter is introduced to mitigate the effect of the measurement bias. Simulations show that the adaptive control improves the performance of the existing acceleration controller and keep the level of the isolated platform deviation to that of the existing control system.

Yang, Bong-Jun↗

NASA NTRS2005

Application of Adaptive Autopilot Designs for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

This paper summarizes the application of two adaptive approaches to autopilot design, and presents an evaluation and comparison of the two approaches in simulation for an unmanned aerial vehicle. One approach employs two-stage dynamic inversion and the other employs feedback dynamic inversions based on a command augmentation system. Both are augmented with neural network based adaptive elements. The approaches permit adaptation to both parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics, and incorporate a method that permits adaptation during periods of control saturation. Simulation results for an FQM-117B radio controlled miniature aerial vehicle are presented to illustrate the performance of the neural network based adaptation.

Shin, Yoonghyun↗

NASA NTRS2003

Adaptive control system having hedge unit and related apparatus and methods

Johnson, Eric Norman↗

NASA NTRS2001

Neural network based automatic limit prediction and avoidance system and method

A method for performance envelope boundary cueing for a vehicle control system comprises the steps of formulating a prediction system for a neural network and training the neural network to predict values of limited parameters as a function of current control positions and current vehicle operating conditions. The method further comprises the steps of applying the neural network to the control system of the vehicle, where the vehicle has capability for measuring current control positions and current vehicle operating conditions. The neural network generates a map of current control positions and vehicle operating conditions versus the limited parameters in a pre-determined vehicle operating condition. The method estimates critical control deflections from the current control positions required to drive the vehicle to a performance envelope boundary. Finally, the method comprises the steps of communicating the critical control deflection to the vehicle control system; and driving the vehicle control system to provide a tactile cue to an operator of the vehicle as the control positions approach the critical control deflections.

Calise, Anthony J.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Fixed-Order Mixed Norm Designs for Building Vibration Control

This study investigates the use of H2, mu-synthesis, and mixed H2/mu methods to construct full order controllers and optimized controllers of fixed dimensions. The benchmark problem definition is first extended to include uncertainty within the controller bandwidth in the form of parametric uncertainty representative of uncertainty in the natural frequencies of the design model. The sensitivity of H2 design to unmodeled dynamics and parametric uncertainty is evaluated for a range of controller levels of authority. Next, mu-synthesis methods are applied to design full order compensators that are robust to both unmodeled dynamics and to parametric uncertainty. Finally, a set of mixed H2/mu compensators are designed which are optimized for a fixed compensator dimension. These mixed norm designs recover the H2 design performance levels while providing the same levels of robust stability as the mu designs. It is shown that designing with the mixed norm approach permits higher levels of controller authority for which the H2 designs are destabilizing. The benchmark problem is that of an active tendon system. The controller designs are all based on the use of acceleration feedback.

Whorton, Mark S.↗

NASA NTRS1998

On-Orbit Model Refinement for Controller Redesign

High performance control design for a flexible space structure is challenging since high fidelity plant models are difficult to obtain a priori. Uncertainty in the control design models typically require a very robust, low performance control design which must be tuned on-orbit to achieve the required performance. A new procedure for refining a multivariable open loop plant model based on closed-loop response data is presented. Using a minimal representation of the state space dynamics, a least squares prediction error method is employed to estimate the plant parameters. This control-relevant system identification procedure stresses the joint nature of the system identification and control design problem by seeking to obtain a model that minimizes the difference between the predicted and actual closed-loop performance. This paper presents an algorithm for iterative closed-loop system identification and controller redesign along with illustrative examples.

Whorton, Mark S.↗

NASA NTRS1998

A Study of Fixed-Order Mixed Norm Designs for a Benchmark Problem in Structural Control

This study investigates the use of H2, p-synthesis, and mixed H2/mu methods to construct full-order controllers and optimized controllers of fixed dimensions. The benchmark problem definition is first extended to include uncertainty within the controller bandwidth in the form of parametric uncertainty representative of uncertainty in the natural frequencies of the design model. The sensitivity of H2 design to unmodelled dynamics and parametric uncertainty is evaluated for a range of controller levels of authority. Next, mu-synthesis methods are applied to design full-order compensators that are robust to both unmodelled dynamics and to parametric uncertainty. Finally, a set of mixed H2/mu compensators are designed which are optimized for a fixed compensator dimension. These mixed norm designs recover the H, design performance levels while providing the same levels of robust stability as the u designs. It is shown that designing with the mixed norm approach permits higher levels of controller authority for which the H, designs are destabilizing. The benchmark problem is that of an active tendon system. The controller designs are all based on the use of acceleration feedback.

Whorton, Mark S.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Mixed H2/H-Infinity Control of a Flexible Space Structure

As theory progresses for design and analysis of robust multivariable control laws, synthesis procedures and to a larger extent, experimental verification generally lags behind. Recent developments in robust control theory have extended the H-infinity and mu-synthesis methods to incorporate H2 properties in the control synthesis. A major difficulty in implementing robust controllers is the order of the compensator and associated complexity of the computation required for synthesis, especially when order constraints are imposed. This paper presents results of system identification and robust control design for the Controls/Structures Interaction Ground Test Facility at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center.

Whorton, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1996

Homotopy Algorithm for Fixed Order Mixed H2/H(infinity) Design

Recent developments in the field of robust multivariable control have merged the theories of H-infinity and H-2 control. This mixed H-2/H-infinity compensator formulation allows design for nominal performance by H-2 norm minimization while guaranteeing robust stability to unstructured uncertainties by constraining the H-infinity norm. A key difficulty associated with mixed H-2/H-infinity compensation is compensator synthesis. A homotopy algorithm is presented for synthesis of fixed order mixed H-2/H-infinity compensators. Numerical results are presented for a four disk flexible structure to evaluate the efficiency of the algorithm.

Whorton, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1995

Analytical investigations in aircraft and spacecraft trajectory optimization and optimal guidance

A collection of analytical studies is presented related to unconstrained and constrained aircraft (a/c) energy-state modeling and to spacecraft (s/c) motion under continuous thrust. With regard to a/c unconstrained energy-state modeling, the physical origin of the singular perturbation parameter that accounts for the observed 2-time-scale behavior of a/c during energy climbs is identified and explained. With regard to the constrained energy-state modeling, optimal control problems are studied involving active state-variable inequality constraints. Departing from the practical deficiencies of the control programs for such problems that result from the traditional formulations, a complete reformulation is proposed for these problems which, in contrast to the old formulation, will presumably lead to practically useful controllers that can track an inequality constraint boundary asymptotically, and even in the presence of 2-sided perturbations about it. Finally, with regard to s/c motion under continuous thrust, a thrust program is proposed for which the equations of 2-dimensional motion of a space vehicle in orbit, viewed as a point mass, afford an exact analytic solution. The thrust program arises under the assumption of tangential thrust from the costate system corresponding to minimum-fuel, power-limited, coplanar transfers between two arbitrary conics. The thrust program can be used not only with power-limited propulsion systems, but also with any propulsion system capable of generating continuous thrust of controllable magnitude, and, for propulsion types and classes of transfers for which it is sufficiently optimal the results of this report suggest a method of maneuvering during planetocentric or heliocentric orbital operations, requiring a minimum amount of computation; thus uniquely suitable for real-time feedback guidance implementations.

Markopoulos, Nikos↗

NASA NTRS1995

Optimal guidance law development for an advanced launch system

The objective of this research effort was to develop a real-time guidance approach for launch vehicles ascent to orbit injection. Various analytical approaches combined with a variety of model order and model complexity reduction have been investigated. Singular perturbation methods were first attempted and found to be unsatisfactory. The second approach based on regular perturbation analysis was subsequently investigated. It also fails because the aerodynamic effects (ignored in the zero order solution) are too large to be treated as perturbations. Therefore, the study demonstrates that perturbation methods alone (both regular and singular perturbations) are inadequate for use in developing a guidance algorithm for the atmospheric flight phase of a launch vehicle. During a second phase of the research effort, a hybrid analytic/numerical approach was developed and evaluated. The approach combines the numerical methods of collocation and the analytical method of regular perturbations. The concept of choosing intelligent interpolating functions is also introduced. Regular perturbation analysis allows the use of a crude representation for the collocation solution, and intelligent interpolating functions further reduce the number of elements without sacrificing the approximation accuracy. As a result, the combined method forms a powerful tool for solving real-time optimal control problems. Details of the approach are illustrated in a fourth order nonlinear example. The hybrid approach is then applied to the launch vehicle problem. The collocation solution is derived from a bilinear tangent steering law, and results in a guidance solution for the entire flight regime that includes both atmospheric and exoatmospheric flight phases.

Calise, Anthony J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Hybrid near-optimal aeroassisted orbit transfer plane change trajectories

In this paper, a hybrid methodology is used to determine optimal open loop controls for the atmospheric portion of the aeroassisted plane change problem. The method is hybrid in the sense that it combines the features of numerical collocation with the analytically tractable portions of the problem which result when the two-point boundary value problem is cast in the form of a regular perturbation problem. Various levels of approximation are introduced by eliminating particular collocation parameters and their effect upon problem complexity and required number of nodes is discussed. The results include plane changes of 10, 20, and 30 degrees for a given vehicle.

Calise, Anthony J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Guidance law development for aeroassisted transfer vehicles using matched asymptotic expansions

This report addresses and clarifies a number of issues related to the Matched Asymptotic Expansion (MAE) analysis of skip trajectories, or any class of problems that give rise to inner layers that are not associated directly with satisfying boundary conditions. The procedure for matching inner and outer solutions, and using the composite solution to satisfy boundary conditions is developed and rigorously followed to obtain a set of algebraic equations for the problem of inclination change with minimum energy loss. A detailed evaluation of the zeroth order guidance algorithm for aeroassisted orbit transfer is performed. It is shown that by exploiting the structure of the MAE solution procedure, the original problem, which requires the solution of a set of 20 implicit algebraic equations, can be reduced to a problem of 6 implicit equations in 6 unknowns. A solution that is near optimal, requires a minimum of computation, and thus can be implemented in real time and on-board the vehicle, has been obtained. Guidance law implementation entails treating the current state as a new initial state and repetitively solving the zeroth order MAE problem to obtain the feedback controls. Finally, a general procedure is developed for constructing a MAE solution up to first order, of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation based on the method of characteristics. The development is valid for a class of perturbation problems whose solution exhibits two-time-scale behavior. A regular expansion for problems of this type is shown to be inappropriate since it is not valid over a narrow range of the independent variable. That is, it is not uniformly valid. Of particular interest here is the manner in which matching and boundary conditions are enforced when the expansion is carried out to first order. Two cases are distinguished-one where the left boundary condition coincides with, or lies to the right of, the singular region, and another one where the left boundary condition lies to the left of the singular region. A simple example is used to illustrate the procedure where the obtained solution is uniformly valid to O(Epsilon(exp 2)). The potential application of this procedure to aeroassisted plane change is also described and partially evaluated.

Calise, Anthony J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Optimal open multistep discretization formulas for real-time simulation

The performance of digital real-time simulations is considered. A figure of merit is derived that quantifies a simulation's fidelity in terms of the time-domain discrepancy between its output and that of the plant it simulates, assuming that the plant is linearizable and asymptotically stable. This performance index is then used in deriving an easily automated procedure for calculating optimal values for free parameters in plant discretizations based on a generalized form of open linear multistep integration formulas. The theory is demonstrated in simulating the rigid-body dynamics of a fully articulated helicopter rotor blade system.

Moerder, Daniel D.↗