A global non-linear control design for a PVTOL vehicle with aerodynamics

Abstract

Non-linear stabilisation and control of a PVTOL vehicle has received much attention in the literature for the low speed case, where aerodynamic effects can be neglected. In this paper, a non-linear control design is presented for a three degree of freedom "Hovering Rocket" with aerodynamic effects included, such that the controller remains functional at high speeds. Control design is based on a non-linear, decoupling change of coordinates presented by many authors in the past. The decoupled system is then controlled using an optimised cascade approach.