Session: MR-07-01 - Novel Mechanisms, Robots, and Applications

Paper Number: 91283

91283 - Control Design and Simulation Framework for an Autonomous Paramotor UAV 

This research develops a dynamics and control framework for an unmanned powered parachute system. The 6 DOF dynamics are derived from the first principle/fundamentals. The dynamic equations are simulated and validated within the MATLAB Simulink simulation environment. A Model Reference Adaptive Controller algorithm is utilized and simulated to update coefficients to control the plant more accurately. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation using SimScale is used to estimate aerodynamic coefficients. This paper is presented as a building block/work in progress for future work on robust and efficient adaptive control of powered parachute aerial vehicles. Derivation of the dynamic equations is included in section two, while section three covers methods used to computationally define key aerodynamic coefficients and describe PPC simulation within the MATLAB Simulink environment. Finally, section four presents the results. Further research into this framework will include validating results through experimentation of the PPC aircraft and comparing dynamic model accuracy. The main contributions of this paper are to present the development of the framework for PPC dynamics, simulation, and control. Additionally, a method for deriving the aerodynamic coefficients of lift and drag is presented and validated against closed-form solutions for lift and drag dynamics using a flat plate model. Finally, more advanced control techniques will be applied to the PPC model in simulations and experiments.

Presenting Author: Sangram Redkar Arizona State University

Presenting Author Biography: Sangram Redkar is an associate professor in the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University. Dr. Redkar’s research focuses on nonlinear dynamics and controls, machine design, inertial navigation, robotics, and physiological sensing.

Authors:

Sangram Redkar Arizona State University
Brett Fiedler Arizona State University