Adaptive Control of Synthetic Jet Arrays with Unknown Nonlinearities

    (Supported by Air Force STTR Phase I and Phase II grants, 09/2004 - 09/2007)

    Project Summary

    We have developed an adaptive inverse compensation scheme to control the aerodynamic flow of six arrays of synthetic jet actuators distributed on the airfoil symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of a tailless aircraft. Each array of synthetic jet flows result from a piezo-electric voltage driven vibrating diaphragm. Nonlinear parametrized models of synthetic jet actuators whose parameters are chosen from a baseline model are presented. Adaptive inverse arrays are employed for cancelling the effect of the nonlinearities of the synthetic jets. An expression for control error is derived such that adaptive laws can be formulated. A state feedback control law is used for controlling linear aircraft dynamics. Parameter projection based adaptive laws are used to ensure desired closed-loop stability and asymptotic tracking.

    We are developing an adaptive compensation scheme for controlling the aerodynamic flow of synthetic jet actuator arrays on a nonlinear aircraft dynamic system. Adaptive inverse arrays are employed for cancelling the effect of the nonlinearities of the jets. A nonlinear state feedback control law is designed for controlling the aircraft dynamics, wherein a set of intermediate states are used as control signals for other states of the aircraft dynamic system, in addition to the lift forces generated from synthetic jet actuators. A meaningful allocation of desired control signals is also proposed.

    We propose to develop effective algorithms for adaptive control of multivariable nonlinear systems with actuator nonlinearities, with applications to multivariable nonlinear aircraft dynamics with synthetic jet actuators. Adaptive control of multivariable nonlinear systems is still an open area for research.

    An adaptive compensation of actuator failures for optimal performance in the presence of unknown actuator failures, has been identified as an important aspect of synthetic jet control, for future investigation.

    Adaptive Control of Systems with Actuator Nonlinearities, Including Actuator Free-Play

    (Supported by an Air Force SBIR Phase I grant, 04/2008 - 12/2008)

    Adaptive Control of Systems with Actuator Nonlinearities, Including Actuator Free-Play

    (Supported by an Air Force SBIR Phase II grant, 05/11/2009 - 05/28/2011)