Model predictive control of hypersonic vehicles accommodating constraints

Abstract

A novel tracking control strategy is proposed for a hypersonic vehicle based on model predictive control and the extended linearisation method. Unlike the general linearisation techniques, the state-dependent coefficient parameterisation method is used to establish a linear structure of non-linear dynamics. Based on the acquired linear system, two predictive controllers are designed for the velocity and altitude tracking in the presence of constraints. Compared with the conventional model predictive control which consumes a large amount of computer resources due to the online constrained optimisation, the predictive functional control adopts the heuristic approach to deal with constraints hence suiting fast systems more. Simulation results show the designed controllers not only meet constraint requirements but also ensure the fast response and tracking performance, and the resulting closed-loop system is robust with respect to the parameter variations and external disturbances.