Flight Test System Identification

Flight Test System Identification PDF Author: Roger Larsson
Publisher: Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN: 9176850706
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
With the demand for more advanced fighter aircraft, relying on unstable flight mechanical characteristics to gain flight performance, more focus has been put on model-based system engineering to help with the design work. The flight control system design is one important part that relies on this modeling. Therefore, it has become more important to develop flight mechanical models that are highly accurate in the whole flight envelope. For today’s modern fighter aircraft, the basic flight mechanical characteristics change between linear and nonlinear as well as stable and unstable as an effect of the desired capability of advanced maneuvering at subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds. This thesis combines the subject of system identification, which is the art of building mathematical models of dynamical systems based on measurements, with aeronautical engineering in order to find methods for identifying flight mechanical characteristics. Here, some challenging aeronautical identification problems, estimating model parameters from flight-testing, are treated. Two aspects are considered. The first is online identification during flight-testing with the intent to aid the engineers in the analysis process when looking at the flight mechanical characteristics. This will also ensure that enough information is available in the resulting test data for post-flight analysis. Here, a frequency domain method is used. An existing method has been developed further by including an Instrumental Variable approach to take care of noisy data including atmospheric turbulence and by a sensor-fusion step to handle varying excitation during an experiment. The method treats linear systems that can be both stable and unstable working under feedback control. An experiment has been performed on a radio-controlled demonstrator aircraft. For this, multisine input signals have been designed and the results show that it is possible to perform more time-efficient flight-testing compared with standard input signals. The other aspect is post-flight identification of nonlinear characteristics. Here the properties of a parameterized observer approach, using a prediction-error method, are investigated. This approach is compared with four other methods for some test cases. It is shown that this parameterized observer approach is the most robust one with respect to noise disturbances and initial offsets. Another attractive property is that no user parameters have to be tuned by the engineers in order to get the best performance. All methods in this thesis have been validated on simulated data where the system is known, and have also been tested on real flight test data. Both of the investigated approaches show promising results.

Flight Test System Identification

Flight Test System Identification PDF Author: Roger Larsson
Publisher: Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN: 9176850706
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Get Book Here

Book Description
With the demand for more advanced fighter aircraft, relying on unstable flight mechanical characteristics to gain flight performance, more focus has been put on model-based system engineering to help with the design work. The flight control system design is one important part that relies on this modeling. Therefore, it has become more important to develop flight mechanical models that are highly accurate in the whole flight envelope. For today’s modern fighter aircraft, the basic flight mechanical characteristics change between linear and nonlinear as well as stable and unstable as an effect of the desired capability of advanced maneuvering at subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds. This thesis combines the subject of system identification, which is the art of building mathematical models of dynamical systems based on measurements, with aeronautical engineering in order to find methods for identifying flight mechanical characteristics. Here, some challenging aeronautical identification problems, estimating model parameters from flight-testing, are treated. Two aspects are considered. The first is online identification during flight-testing with the intent to aid the engineers in the analysis process when looking at the flight mechanical characteristics. This will also ensure that enough information is available in the resulting test data for post-flight analysis. Here, a frequency domain method is used. An existing method has been developed further by including an Instrumental Variable approach to take care of noisy data including atmospheric turbulence and by a sensor-fusion step to handle varying excitation during an experiment. The method treats linear systems that can be both stable and unstable working under feedback control. An experiment has been performed on a radio-controlled demonstrator aircraft. For this, multisine input signals have been designed and the results show that it is possible to perform more time-efficient flight-testing compared with standard input signals. The other aspect is post-flight identification of nonlinear characteristics. Here the properties of a parameterized observer approach, using a prediction-error method, are investigated. This approach is compared with four other methods for some test cases. It is shown that this parameterized observer approach is the most robust one with respect to noise disturbances and initial offsets. Another attractive property is that no user parameters have to be tuned by the engineers in order to get the best performance. All methods in this thesis have been validated on simulated data where the system is known, and have also been tested on real flight test data. Both of the investigated approaches show promising results.

Aircraft and Rotorcraft System Identification

Aircraft and Rotorcraft System Identification PDF Author: Mark Brian Tischler
Publisher: AIAA Education
ISBN: 9781600868207
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Although many books have been written on the theory of system identification, few are available that provide a complete engineering treatment of system identification and how to successfully apply it to flight vehicles. This book presents proven methods, practical guidelines, and real-world flight-test results for a wide range of state-of-the-art flight vehicles, from small uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to large manned aircraft/rotorcraft.

Flight Vehicle System Identification

Flight Vehicle System Identification PDF Author: Ravindra V. Jategaonkar
Publisher: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics)
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 568

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Book Description
This valuable volume offers a systematic approach to flight vehicle system identification and exhaustively covers the time domain methodology. It addresses in detail the theoretical and practical aspects of various parameter estimation methods, including those in the stochastic framework and focusing on nonlinear models, cost functions, optimization methods, and residual analysis. A pragmatic and balanced account of pros and cons in each case is provided. The book also presents data gathering and model validation, and covers both large-scale systems and high-fidelity modeling. Real world problems dealing with a variety of flight vehicle applications are addressed and solutions are provided. Examples encompass such problems as estimation of aerodynamics, stability, and control derivatives from flight data, flight path reconstruction, nonlinearities in control surface effectiveness, stall hysteresis, unstable aircraft, and other critical considerations.

Aircraft System Identification

Aircraft System Identification PDF Author: Eugene Morelli
Publisher: Sunflyte Enterprises
ISBN: 9780997430615
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 618

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Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive overview of both the theoretical underpinnings and the practical application of aircraft modeling based on experimental data also known as aircraft system identification. Much of the material presented comes from the authors own extensive research and teaching activities at the NASA Langley Research Center, and is based on real-world applications of system identification to aircraft. The book uses actual flight-test and wind-tunnel data for case studies and examples, and is a valuable resource for researchers and practicing engineers, as well as a textbook for postgraduate and senior-level courses. [...] The methods and algorithms explained in the book are implemented in a NASA software toolbox called SIDPAC (System IDentification Programs for AirCraft). SIDPAC is written in MATLAB®, and is available by request from NASA Langley Research Center. SIDPAC is composed of many different tools that implement a wide variety of approaches explained fully in the book. These tools can be readily applied to solve aircraft system identification problems.

Rotorcraft System Identification

Rotorcraft System Identification PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description


On Subscale Flight Testing

On Subscale Flight Testing PDF Author: Alejandro Sobron
Publisher: Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN: 9176852202
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
Downscaled physical models, also referred to as subscale models, have played an essential role in the investigation of the complex physics of flight until the recent disruption of numerical simulation. Despite the fact that improvements in computational methods are slowly pushing experimental techniques towards a secondary role as verification or calibration tools, real-world testing of physical prototypes still provides an unmatched confidence. Physical models are very effective at revealing issues that are sometimes not correctly identified in the virtual domain, and hence can be a valuable complement to other design tools. But traditional wind-tunnel testing cannot always meet all of the requirements of modern aeronautical research and development. It is nowadays too expensive to use these scarce facilities to explore different design iterations during the initial stages of aircraft development, or to experiment with new and immature technologies. Testing of free-flight subscale models, referred to as Subscale Flight Testing (SFT), could offer an affordable and low-risk alternative for complementing conventional techniques with both qualitative and quantitative information. The miniaturisation of mechatronic systems, the advances in rapid-prototyping techniques and power storage, as well as new manufacturing methods, currently enable the development of sophisticated test objects at scales that were impractical some decades ago. Moreover, the recent boom in the commercial drone industry has driven a quick development of specialised electronics and sensors, which offer nowadays surprising capabilities at competitive prices. These recent technological disruptions have significantly altered the cost-benefit function of SFT and it is necessary to re-evaluate its potential in the contemporary aircraft development context. This thesis aims to increase the comprehension and knowledge of the SFT method in order to define a practical framework for its use in aircraft design; focusing on low-cost, short-time solutions that don’t require more than a small organization and few resources. This objective is approached from a theoretical point of view by means of an analysis of the physical and practical limitations of the scaling laws; and from an empirical point of view by means of field experiments aimed at identifying practical needs for equipment, methods, and tools. A low-cost data acquisition system is developed and tested; a novel method for semi-automated flight testing in small airspaces is proposed; a set of tools for analysis and visualisation of flight data is presented; and it is also demonstrated that it is possible to explore and demonstrate new technology using SFT with a very limited amount of economic and human resources. All these, together with a theoretical review and contextualisation, contribute to increasing the comprehension and knowledge of the SFT method in general, and its potential applications in aircraft conceptual design in particular.

Introduction to Flight Testing and Applied Aerodynamics

Introduction to Flight Testing and Applied Aerodynamics PDF Author: Barnes Warnock McCormick
Publisher: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics)
ISBN: 9781600868276
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
An introduction into the art and science of measuring and predicting airplane performance, ""Introduction to Flight Testing and Applied Aerodynamics"" will benefit students, homebuilders, pilots, and engineers in learning how to collect and analyze data relevant to the takeoff, climb, cruise, handling qualities, descent, and landing of an aircraft. This textbook presents a basic and concise analysis of airplane performance, stability, and control. Basic algebra, trigonometry, and some calculus are used. Topics discussed include: Engine and propeller performance; Estimation of drag; Airplane dynamics; Wing spanwise lift distributions; Flight experimentation; Airspeed calibration; Takeoff performance; Climb performance; and, Dynamic and static stability. Special features: examples containing student-obtained data about specific airplanes and engines; simple experiments that determine an airplane's performance and handling qualities; and, end-of-chapter problems (with answers supplied in an appendix).

Flight Dynamics

Flight Dynamics PDF Author: Robert F. Stengel
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691237042
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 914

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Book Description
An updated and expanded new edition of an authoritative book on flight dynamics and control system design for all types of current and future fixed-wing aircraft Since it was first published, Flight Dynamics has offered a new approach to the science and mathematics of aircraft flight, unifying principles of aeronautics with contemporary systems analysis. Now updated and expanded, this authoritative book by award-winning aeronautics engineer Robert Stengel presents traditional material in the context of modern computational tools and multivariable methods. Special attention is devoted to models and techniques for analysis, simulation, evaluation of flying qualities, and robust control system design. Using common notation and not assuming a strong background in aeronautics, Flight Dynamics will engage a wide variety of readers, including aircraft designers, flight test engineers, researchers, instructors, and students. It introduces principles, derivations, and equations of flight dynamics as well as methods of flight control design with frequent reference to MATLAB functions and examples. Topics include aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, flying qualities, flight control, and the atmospheric and gravitational environment. The second edition of Flight Dynamics features up-to-date examples; a new chapter on control law design for digital fly-by-wire systems; new material on propulsion, aerodynamics of control surfaces, and aeroelastic control; many more illustrations; and text boxes that introduce general mathematical concepts. Features a fluid, progressive presentation that aids informal and self-directed study Provides a clear, consistent notation that supports understanding, from elementary to complicated concepts Offers a comprehensive blend of aerodynamics, dynamics, and control Presents a unified introduction of control system design, from basics to complex methods Includes links to online MATLAB software written by the author that supports the material covered in the book

Introduction to Aircraft Flight Mechanics

Introduction to Aircraft Flight Mechanics PDF Author: Thomas R. Yechout
Publisher: AIAA
ISBN: 9781600860782
Category : Aerodynamics
Languages : en
Pages : 666

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Book Description
Based on a 15-year successful approach to teaching aircraft flight mechanics at the US Air Force Academy, this text explains the concepts and derivations of equations for aircraft flight mechanics. It covers aircraft performance, static stability, aircraft dynamics stability and feedback control.

Applied System Identification

Applied System Identification PDF Author: Jer-Nan Juang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 424

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Book Description
System identification is the process of developing or improving a mathematical representation of a physical system using experimental data. Over the past decade, several system identification techniques have been developed within different disciplines. This text/reference brings together the significant advances over the past decade into a single unified source -- with common mathematical notation that will enable readers from a variety of engineering areas -- e.g., aerospace, electrical, civil, and mechanical engineering --to apply system identification to engineering systems. Focuses on the three types of identification in engineering structures -- modal parameter identification; structural-model parameter identification; and control-model identification. For researchers and engineers, students, and teachers in vibrations, controls and system identification.