Formation Flight System Extremum-Seeking-Control Using Blended Performance Parameters

Ryan, John J [Inventor]

关键词: CONTROL SYSTEMS DESIGN;    FORMATION FLYING;    DRAG REDUCTION;    ERROR FUNCTIONS;    FLIGHT CONTROL;    ROLLING MOMENTS;    PITCH (INCLINATION);    YAWING MOMENTS;    WAKES;    PATENTS;    WEIGHTING FUNCTIONS;    COMPUTER PROGRAMS;    ALGORITHMS;   

RP-ID  :  US-Patent-9,864,380, US-Patent-Appl-SN-15/215,776

学科分类：航空航天科学

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

An extremum-seeking control system for formation flight that uses blended performance parameters in a conglomerate performance function that better approximates drag reduction than performance functions formed from individual measurements. Generally, a variety of different measurements are taken and fed to a control system, the measurements are weighted, and are then subjected to a peak-seeking control algorithm. As measurements are continually taken, the aircraft will be guided to a relative position which optimizes the drag reduction of the formation. Two embodiments are discussed. Two approaches are shown for determining relative weightings: "a priori" by which they are qualitatively determined (by minimizing the error between the conglomerate function and the drag reduction function), and by periodically updating the weightings as the formation evolves.