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Flight in Flow Fields

Flight in Flow Fields. Ricardo Bencatel . Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. April 22nd, 2013. Air Force Relevance. Why? Persistent operations Fuel savings Low noise signature Smaller logistical footprint - Smaller UAVs.

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Flight in Flow Fields

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  1. Flight in Flow Fields Ricardo Bencatel Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA April 22nd, 2013

  2. Air Force Relevance Why? • Persistent operations • Fuel savings • Low noise signature • Smaller logistical footprint - Smaller UAVs Can standard UAVs fly without fuel?

  3. Motivation • Extended UAVs endurance and range • Standard UAV = Sensor & energy collector • Harvest air flow energy *Edwards, D., “Implementation Details and Flight Test Results of an AutonomousSoaringController”, 2008

  4. Flight in Flow Fields How can standard UAVs fly without fuel?

  5. Application Applications: • Dynamic soaring • High-altitude: Jet Stream • Low/medium altitude: mountain ridges • Low altitude: oceans, lakes, flat landscapes • Generally: Gusts • Static soaring • Plains (including desertand ice/snow) • Mountain ridges • Preliminary results • Smaller UAVs benefit the most • Existing fleet endurance/range extension

  6. Models Research Focus • Exploitation • Methods • Validation • Exploration Methods • Estimation • Endurance Extension • Observability

  7. Current Contributions • Conditions for perpetual flight (Ph.D. dissertation) • New models (Accepted for publication in the Journal of Progress in Aerospace Sciences) • 2 3D thermal models • 3 wind shear models • Formation flight controller with collision avoidance(Presented at the CDC 2011) • Observability and estimators (Ph.D. dissertation) • Thermals (Presented at the AIS 2010) • Wind Shear (Presented at the GNC 2011)

  8. Outline • Flow Field Phenomena • Formation Flight • Dynamic Soaring

  9. Models • Models Flow Field Phenomena • Exploitation • Methods • Validation • Exploration Methods • Estimation • Endurance Extension • Observability

  10. Flow Field Phenomena • Wind currents • Wind gradients Bencatel, R., Sousa, J. B., and Girard, A. R., “Atmospheric Flow Field Models Applicable for Aircraft Endurance Extension," Accepted for Publication in Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2013.

  11. Flow Field Phenomena • Thermals

  12. Flow Field Phenomena • Wind Shear

  13. Models • Model Validation Formation Flight • Exploitation • Methods • Validation • Exploration Methods • Estimation • Endurance Extension • Observability

  14. Formation Flight • Validate Thermal’s flow field model • Safely take spatially distributed samples

  15. Inter-UAV relative frame Collision Avoidance strategy over the “connecting” axis: Maximum velocity strategy over the orthogonal axis: Sliding Mode Controller

  16. Kinematic Model Controller (Feedback Linearization and Sliding Mode) Information structure All UAVs know each other and the leader Sliding Mode Controller Ricardo Bencatel, MariamFaied, João Sousa, and Anouck Girard, “Formation Control with Collision Avoidance,” 50th IEEE CDC and ECC, 2011

  17. Formation Flight

  18. Models • Exploitation Methods Dynamic Soaring • Exploitation • Methods • Validation • Exploration Methods • Estimation • Endurance Extension • Observability

  19. Dynamic Soaring

  20. Dynamic Soaring

  21. Dynamic Soaring

  22. Dynamic Soaring

  23. Conclusions

  24. Models • Observability • Models • Flow Field Estimation • Exploitation Methods • Model Validation Conclusions Formation Flight ThermalsWind ShearGusts • Exploitation • Methods • Validation Wind Thermals • Exploration Methods • Estimation • Endurance Extension • Observability Dynamic Soaring

  25. Publications • Ph.D. dissertation • 1 accepted journal paper • 4 accepted conference papers

  26. Collaborations • AFRL: • Dynamic Soaring • Precision air drops • University of Porto & Portuguese Air Force

  27. Future Work • Can a flow field exploitation controller be introduced in a USAF UAV mission? • How should the exploitation trajectories be combined? • Can we harvest more energy if we have an electrical regeneration system? • Are the presented thermal and wind shear models valid? • Usefulness - How frequent are the studied?

  28. Model Validation • Endurance Extension • Models • Exploration Methods • Precision Air Drops • Flow Field Estimation • Exploitation Methods Future Work Formation Flight • Exploitation • Methods • Validation Landing Point Approach Control Wind Gradients Volume • Exploration Methods • Endurance Extension • Estimation • Observability Dynamic Soaring

  29. Flight in Flow Fields Ricardo Bencatel bencatel@umich.edu Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA April 22nd, 2013

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