Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control
For Rigid and Flexible Aircraft
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Book Description
Explore Key Concepts and Techniques Associated with Control Configured Elastic Aircraft
A rapid rise in air travel in the past decade is driving the development of newer, more energy-efficient, and malleable aircraft. Typically lighter and more flexible than the traditional rigid body, this new ideal calls for adaptations to some conventional concepts. Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control: For Rigid and Flexible Aircraft addresses the intricacies involved in the dynamic modelling, simulation, and control of a selection of aircraft. This book covers the conventional dynamics of rigid aircraft, explores key concepts associated with control configured elastic aircraft, and examines the use of linear and non-linear model-based techniques and their applications to flight control. In addition, it reveals how the principles of modeling and control can be applied to both traditional rigid and modern flexible aircraft.
Understand the Basic Principles Governing Aerodynamic Flows
This text consists of ten chapters outlining a range of topics relevant to the understanding of flight dynamics, regulation, and control. The book material describes the basics of flight simulation and control, the basics of nonlinear aircraft dynamics, and the principles of control configured aircraft design. It explains how elasticity of the wings/fuselage can be included in the dynamics and simulation, and highlights the principles of nonlinear stability analysis of both rigid and flexible aircraft. The reader can explore the mechanics of equilibrium flight and static equilibrium, trimmed steady level flight, the analysis of the static stability of an aircraft, static margins, stick-fixed and stick-free, modeling of control surface hinge-moments, and the estimation of the elevator for trim.
- Introduces case studies of practical control laws for several modern aircraft
- Explores the evaluation of aircraft dynamic response
- Applies MATLAB®/Simulink® in determining the aircraft’s response to typical control inputs
- Explains the methods of modeling both rigid and flexible aircraft for controller design application
Written with aerospace engineering faculty and students, engineers, and researchers in mind, Flight Dynamics, Simulation, and Control: For Rigid and Flexible Aircraft serves as a useful resource for the exploration and study of simulation of flight dynamics.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Flight Vehicles
Introduction
Components of an Aeroplane
Basic Principles of Flight
Flying Control Surfaces: Elevator, Ailerons and Rudder
Pilot’s Controls: The Throttle, the Control Column and Yoke, the Rudder Pedals and the Toe Brakes
Modes of Flight
Power Plant
Avionics, Instrumentation and Systems
Geometry of Aerofoils and Wings
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Basic Principles Governing Aerodynamic Flows
Introduction
Continuity Principle
Bernoulli’s Principle
Laminar Flows and Boundary Layers
Turbulent Flows
Aerodynamics of Aerofoils and Wings
Properties of Air in the Atmosphere
International Standard Atmosphere (from ESDU 77021, 1986)
Generation of Lift and Drag
Aerodynamic Forces and Moments
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Mechanics of Equilibrium Flight
Introduction
Speeds of Equilibrium Flight
Basic Aircraft Performance
Conditions for Minimum Drag
Stability in the Vicinity of the Minimum Drag Speed
Range and Endurance Estimation
Trim
Stability of Equilibrium Flight
Longitudinal Static Stability
Manoeuvrability
Lateral Stability and Stability Criteria
Experimental Determination of Aircraft Stability Margins
Summary of Equilibrium- and Stability-Related Equations
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Aircraft Non-Linear Dynamics: Equations of Motion
Introduction
Aircraft Dynamics
Aircraft Motion in a D Plane
Moments of Inertia
Euler’s Equations and the Dynamics of Rigid Bodies
Description of the Attitude or Orientation
Aircraft Equations of Motion
Motion-Induced Aerodynamic Forces and Moments
Non-Linear Dynamics of Aircraft Motion and the
Stability Axes
Trimmed Equations of Motion
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
References
Small Perturbations and the Linearised, Decoupled Equations of Motion
Introduction
Small Perturbations and Linearisations
Linearising the Aerodynamic Forces and Moments: Stability Derivative Concept
Direct Formulation in the Stability Axis
Decoupled Equations of Motion
Decoupled Equations of Motion in terms of the Stability Axis Aerodynamic Derivatives
Addition of Aerodynamic Controls and Throttle
Non-Dimensional Longitudinal and Lateral Dynamics
Simplified State-Space Equations of Longitudinal and Lateral Dynamics
Simplified Concise Equations of Longitudinal and Lateral Dynamics
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Reference
Longitudinal and Lateral Linear Stability and Control
Introduction
Dynamic and Static Stability
Modal Description of Aircraft Dynamics and the Stability of the Modes
Aircraft Lift and Drag Estimation
Estimating the Longitudinal Aerodynamic Derivatives
Estimating the Lateral Aerodynamic Derivatives
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Aircraft Dynamic Response: Numerical Simulation and Non-Linear Phenomenon
Introduction
Longitudinal and Lateral Modal Equations
Methods of Computing Aircraft Dynamic Response
System Block Diagram Representation
Atmospheric Disturbance: Deterministic Disturbances
Principles of Random Atmospheric Disturbance Modelling
Application to Atmospheric Turbulence Modelling
Aircraft Non-Linear Dynamic Response Phenomenon
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
References
Aircraft Flight Control
Automatic Flight Control Systems: An Introduction
Functions of a Flight Control System
Integrated Flight Control System
Flight Control System Design
Optimal Control of Flight Dynamics
Application to the Design of Stability Augmentation
Systems and Autopilots
Performance Assessment of a Command or Control
Augmentation System
Linear Perturbation Dynamics Flight Control Law Design by Partial Dynamic Inversion
Design of Controllers for Multi-Input Systems
Decoupling Control and Its Application: Longitudinal and Lateral Dynamics Decoupling Control
Full Aircraft Six-DOF Flight Controller Design by Dynamic Inversion
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Piloted Simulation and Pilot Modelling
Introduction
Piloted Flight Simulation
Principles of Human Pilot Physiological Modelling
Human Physiological Control Mechanisms
Spatial Awareness
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
References
Flight Dynamics of Elastic Aircraft
Introduction
Flight Dynamics of Flexible Aircraft
Newton–Euler Equations of a Rigid Aircraft
Lagrangian Formulation
Vibration of Elastic Structures in a Fluid Medium
Unsteady Aerodynamics of an Aerofoil
Euler–Lagrange Formulation of Flexible Body Dynamics
Application to an Aircraft with a Flexible Wing Vibrating in Bending and Torsion
Kinetic and Potential Energies of the Whole Elastic Aircraft
Euler–Lagrange Matrix Equations of a Flexible Body in Quasi-Coordinates
Slender Elastic Aircraft
Aircraft with a Flexible Flat Body Component
Estimating the Aerodynamic Derivatives: Modified Strip
Analysis
Chapter Highlights
Exercises
Answers to Selected Exercises
References
Index
Author(s)
Biography
Dr. Ranjan Vepa earned his PhD in applied mechanics from Stanford University, California. He currently serves as a lecturer in the School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London, where he has also been the programme director of the Avionics Programme since 2001. He conducts research on biomimetic morphing of wings and aerodynamic shape control and their applications to flight vehicles. Dr. Vepa is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London; the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), New York; a fellow of the Higher Education Academy; a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation, London; and a chartered engineer.
Reviews
"Starting from the fundamentals, the book takes the reader to more advanced topics, abreast with the current research. ...The material presented is comprehensive and is richly illustrated by the case studies."
—Dr. Rajesh Joseph Abraham, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, India"In one volume there is a comprehensive coverage of flight mechanics and control, starting from basic concepts of aerodynamics and propulsion, including standard topics of longitudinal and lateral stability and control, with extensive use of case studies, leading up to an impressive set of advanced topics that would not normally be found in a single volume, including extensive coverage of flexible aircraft, flight control systems and pilot-in-the-loop simulation and modelling."
—Neil Sandham, University of Southampton, UK