Improved Adaptive Augmentation Control for a Flexible Launch Vehicle with Elastic Vibration

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Control Systems Theory
• Structural Dynamics

Background:

• Modern spacecraft feature large, flexible structures, increasing mass and aspect ratio.
• Lightweight materials introduce more flexible modes and complex vibrations in launch vehicles.
• These systems face uncertainties like unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust control method for large-scale flexible launch vehicles.
• To address system deviations and potential destabilization caused by various uncertainties.
• To improve the performance and stability of spacecraft control systems.

Main Methods:

• An improved adaptive augmentation control method is proposed.
• This method integrates model reference adaptation and spectral damping.
• It includes a baseline PD controller, a reference model, and adaptive gain adjustment.

Main Results:

• The adaptive gain adjustment extracts high-frequency signals from system errors.
• This gain modifies the baseline controller to enhance system performance.
• The control method demonstrated improved robust stability against uncertainties.

Conclusions:

• The proposed adaptive augmentation control method effectively manages uncertainties in large flexible spacecraft.
• It ensures the system returns to nominal states, preventing destabilization.
• This approach enhances the reliability and performance of future aerospace vehicles.