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Vector field path following of a full-wing solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) landing based on Dubins path: a lesson from multiple landing failures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2021

A. Guo Open the ORCID record for A. Guo [Opens in a new window] ,
Z. Zhou ,
R. Wang ,
X. Zhao  and
X. Zhu
A. Guo
Affiliation:
School of Aeronautics Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi’an710072China
Z. Zhou*
Affiliation:
School of Aeronautics Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi’an710072China
R. Wang
Affiliation:
School of Aeronautics Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi’an710072China
X. Zhao
Affiliation:
School of Aeronautics Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi’an710072China
X. Zhu
Affiliation:
Science and Technology on UAV Laboratory Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi’an710072China
*
zhouzhou@nwpu.edu.cn
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Abstract

The full-wing solar-powered UAV has a large aspect ratio, special configuration, and excellent aerodynamic performance. This UAV converts solar energy into electrical energy for level flight and storage to improve endurance performance. The UAV only uses a differential throttle for lateral control, and the insufficient control capability during crosswind landing results in a large lateral distance bias and leads to multiple landing failures. This paper analyzes 11 landing failures and finds that a large lateral distance bias at the beginning of the approach and the coupling of base and differential throttle control is the main reason for multiple landing failures. To improve the landing performance, a heading angle-based vector field (VF) method is applied to the straight-line and orbit paths following and two novel 3D Dubins landing paths are proposed to reduce the initial lateral control bias. The results show that the straight-line path simulation exhibits similar phenomenon with the practical failure; the single helical path has the highest lateral control accuracy; the left-arc to left-arc (L-L) path avoids the saturation of the differential throttle; and both paths effectively improve the probability of successful landing.

Keywords

Full-wing configurationSolar-powered UAVDifferential throttleMultiple landing failuresVector fieldDubins pathLanding path generation
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 125 , Issue 1290 , August 2021 , pp. 1283 - 1312
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

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