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Control of a laboratory 3-DOF helicopter: Explicit model predictive approach

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  • Control Theory and Applications
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Abstract

A helicopter flight control system is a typical multi-input, multi-output system with strong channel-coupling and nonlinear characteristics. This paper presents an explicit model predictive control (EMPC) for attitude regulation and tracking of a 3-Degree-of-Freedom (3-DOF) helicopter. A state-space representation of the system is established according to the characteristics of each degree-of-freedom motion. Multi-Parametric Quadratic Programming (MPQP) and online computation processes for explicit model predictive control and controller design for a 3-DOF helicopter are discussed. The controller design for set-point regulation and tracking time-varying reference signals of a 3-DOF helicopter are presented respectively. Numerical study of explicit model predictive control for attitude regulation and tracking of a 3-DOF helicopter are conducted. A hardware-in-the-loop experimental study of explicit model predictive control of a 3-DOF helicopter is made. To analyze the performances of an EMPC controlled helicopter system, an Active Mass Disturbance System and manual interference are considered in comparison with PID scheme. Numerical simulation and HIL experimental studies show that explicit model predictive control is valid and has satisfactory performance for a 3-DOF helicopter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhijiang College of Zhejiang University of Technology, No. 958, Kehua Rd, Keqiao District, Shaoxing, China

    Ju Zhang, Xinyan Cheng & Jiaqi Zhu

Authors
  1. Ju Zhang
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  2. Xinyan Cheng
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  3. Jiaqi Zhu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ju Zhang.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Won-jong Kim under the direction of Editor PooGyeon Park. The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that help improve the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank the Automatic Control Laboratory of ETHZ for providing MPT, a Matlab toolbox for multi-parametric optimization and computational geometry. The work is partially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (60974042) and College Student Research Project Foundation of Zhejiang Province (G1401115042900).

Ju Zhang obtained his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Zhejiang University of Technology in 1994, and his Ph.D. degree in Automatic Control Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2005. From 2005 to 2006, he was a visiting scholar at Stuttgart University, Germany. From 2007 to 2010, he was an associate Professor, and from 2011, he is a Professor, both at college of information Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology. From 2014 to 2015, he was a visiting scholar at Michigan State University, USA. His research interests are in the areas of model predictive control, hybrid system and linear parameter varying systems.

Xinyan Cheng obtained her B.S. degree in Measuring and Control Technology and Instrumentations from China Jiliang University in 2008 and her M.S. degree in Automatic Control Engineering from Zhejiang University of Technology in 2015. Her research interests include explicit MPC control and helicopter control.

Jiaqi Zhu obtained his B.S. degree in Automatic Control Engineering from Zhejiang University of Technology in 2015. His research interests include explicit MPC.

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Zhang, J., Cheng, X. & Zhu, J. Control of a laboratory 3-DOF helicopter: Explicit model predictive approach. Int. J. Control Autom. Syst. 14, 389–399 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-014-0324-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-014-0324-9

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