Article
Integrated architecture for navigation and attitude control of low-cost suborbital launch vehicles
Acta Astronautica
— 2024 — Elsevier
Key information
Authors:
Published in
06/05/2024
Abstract
This paper proposes an integrated architecture for navigation and attitude control of low-cost suborbital launch vehicles, propelled by a solid motor. Single-nozzle, two Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF) Thrust Vector Control (TVC) actuation is adopted. For architecture design purposes, a non-linear, unstable, 6 DoF model for the generic thrust-vector-controlled launcher dynamics and kinematics is deduced, and a linear state-space representation is proposed. The navigation system provides full-state estimates resorting to novel complementary kinematic filters, whose design allows to establish an explicit relation with steady-state Kalman filtering. A globally stable estimation solution is obtained, apart from the singularities arising from the use of Euler angles. The attitude control law is derived from the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) using the state-space models for each linearization point of the reference trajectory, with an integral action (LQI) added to improve robustness and to provide null steady state attitude tracking error. A correction method is proposed to allow for pitch and yaw control in the presence of spinning motion, precluding the need of a supplementary roll control system. The control system is implemented through gain scheduling, resorting to an altitude-based linear parametric varying method. The architecture is implemented in a realistic simulation environment, composed by the 6 DoF non-linear model, the Navigation and Control solutions, and the environmental disturbances, to assess its performance through Monte Carlo simulations. The navigation system is able to provide accurate estimates of the state vector, while the control system satisfies attitude tracking performance and robustness to both external disturbances and model parametric uncertainties.
Publication details
Authors in the community:
Pedro Emanuel Moutinho dos Santos
ist189704
Publication version
VoR - Version of Record
Publisher
Elsevier
Link to the publisher's version
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576524002935
Title of the publication container
Acta Astronautica
First page or article number
52
Last page
68
Volume
222
Fields of Science and Technology (FOS)
mechanical-engineering - Mechanical engineering
Keywords
- Suborbital launch vehicles
- TVC
- Attitude control
- LQR
- Navigation
- Kinematic filters
Publication language (ISO code)
eng - English
Rights type:
Open access
Creative Commons license
CC-BY - CC-BY
Financing entity
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Title of the project, award or grant: LAETA base funding
Identifier for the funding entity: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: UIDB/50022/2020
Financing entity
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Title of the project, award or grant: CAPTURE
Identifier for the funding entity: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: PTDC/EEI-AUT/1732/2020
Financing entity
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Title of the project, award or grant: PhD grant
Identifier for the funding entity: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: 2023.00268.BD