Flight Mechanism and Control Systems

Lecture 1: Introduction

Dr. Hailong Huang

Assistant Professor
Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Flight Mechanism and Control Systems

Relating to previous subjects

• AAE3001 Fundamentals of Aerodynamics
• AAE3002 Aircraft Structures and Materials
• AAE3004 Dynamical Systems and Control
Lecturer

• Dr. Hailong Huang

• Assistant professor
• QR824
• [email protected]
• https://www.polyu.edu.hk/aae/people/academic-staff/dr-hailong-huang/
• https://sites.google.com/view/hailong-huang/home
Supporting team

Teaching assistant:
• Mr. Yurong FENG ([email protected])
Mr. Yefeng YANG ([email protected])
Mr. Bailun JIANG ([email protected])
Mr. Feng HUANG ([email protected])
• Role: Assisting Design Project and CA

Student assistant:
• Mr. Zhengdao LI
([email protected])
• Role: Assisting Github and others
Outline

• Topics in this course

• Course overview
• Design project
• Fundamental mathematics
• Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
• Tutorial of Task 1 of the design project
Topics in this course

Aircraft
Forces & Equations
dynamics
moments of motion

Aircraft
Flight stability
Control
management Sensors & system
systems actuators
Topics in this course

Flight management
• Unmanned aircraft: the six-degree-of-
freedom (DOF) physical aircraft that
responds to servo command inputs
(elevator, aileron, rudder, and throttle)
and wind and other disturbances.
• Autopilot: the low-level algorithms that
maintain roll and pitch angles, airspeed,
altitude, and course heading.
• Flight management: the high-level
algorithms that plan paths and follow the
designed paths (including path planner,
path manager, and path following).

System architecture
 Recommended Books

• Bernard Etkin, Dynamics of Atmospheric

Flight, John Wiley& Sons Inc., 1972
• Randal W. Beard, Timothy W. McLain,
Small Unmanned Aircraft: Theory and
Practice, Princeton University Press,
2012
• Michael V. Cook, et al, Flight Dynamics
Principles, 3rd edition,
Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 2013
• Brian L. Stevens, et al, Aircraft Control
and Simulation, 3rd edition, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 2016
Course content
Overview

• Week 1: Introduction
• Week 2: Coordinate systems
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics
• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments
• Week 5: Design models • 39 contact hours
• Week 6: Autopilot control laws • 33 hours for 11 lectures
• 6 hours for 2 labs
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Course Content

Week 2: Coordinate systems Right-hand rule:

• Index figure → x axis (or i axis)
• Middle figure → y axis (or j axis)
• The inertial frame Translation • Thumb → z axis (or k axis)
• The vehicle frame
• The vehicle-1 frame
• The vehicle-2 frame
• The body frame
• The stability frame
• The wind frame
Translation
Course Content
Heading angle
Week 2: Coordinate systems Yaw angle

• The inertial frame Translation

• The vehicle frame
Yaw angle 𝜓
• The vehicle-1 frame Roll angle (bank angle)
Pitch angle 𝜃
• The vehicle-2 frame
Roll angle 𝜙
• The body frame
Pitch angle
• The stability frame
• The wind frame

Belly
Course Content

Week 2: Coordinate systems

• The inertial frame Translation

• The vehicle frame
Yaw angle 𝜓
• The vehicle-1 frame
Pitch angle 𝜃
• The vehicle-2 frame
Roll angle 𝜙
• The body frame
Angle of attack 𝛼
• The stability frame
Sideslip angle 𝛽
• The wind frame
Course Content

Week 2: Coordinate systems

• The vehicle frame

Yaw angle 𝜓
• The vehicle-1 frame
Pitch angle 𝜃
• The vehicle-2 frame
Roll angle 𝜙
• The body frame
Course Content

Week 2: Coordinate systems

• The body frame

Angle of attack 𝛼
• The stability frame
Sideslip angle 𝛽
• The wind frame
Course Content

Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics

• 12 state variables:
❑ 3 position states and 3 velocity states associated with the translational motion;
❑ 3 angular position and 3 angular velocity states associated with the rotational motion.
Course Content

Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics

• The 6-degree-of-freedom, 12-state model for the aircraft kinematics and dynamics:

However, these equations are

not complete in that the
externally applied forces and
moments are not yet defined.
Models for forces and
moments due to gravity,
aerodynamics, and propulsion
will be derived in Week 4.
Course Content

Week 1-3

From the point of control system

Plant
(aircraft)

The model of the

object to be controlled
Course Content

Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

Weight – Downwards, pointing towards the centre of Earth

Lift – Overcoming the weight force
Drag – Directed along and opposed to flight direction
Thrust – Forwards, generated by engines
 Course Content

Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

• Primary control surfaces:

Ailerons 𝛿𝑎 , Elevator 𝛿𝑒 , and
Rudder 𝛿𝑟
• Secondary control surfaces:
Spoilers, Flaps, Slats, etc.
• Control surfaces will change
forces and moments acting
on the aircraft, thus changing
the motion of the aircraft.
Course Content

Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

• The total forces on the aircraft:

𝑓(𝛿𝑎 , 𝛿𝑒 , 𝛿𝑟 , 𝛿𝑡 )

• The total torques on the aircraft:

𝑔(𝛿𝑎 , 𝛿𝑒 , 𝛿𝑟 , 𝛿𝑡 )
Course Content

Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

• The total forces on the aircraft:

• The total torques on the aircraft:

 Course Content

Week 5: Design models

• What are design models?
• Why we need them?
( )

Substituting the forces and

moments models into the
kinematics and dynamics models

Too complex to design controllers

Decouple lateral and longitudinal

Taylor series expansion

Course Content

Week 5: Design models

• The linearized state-space equations (Lateral)

A B
Course Content

Week 5: Design models

• The linearized state-space equations (Longitudinal)

A B
Course Content

Week 1-5

From the point of control system

Actuator Plant
(Control surfaces) (aircraft)

How to control The model of the

the plant object to be controlled
Course Content

Week 1-5

From the point of control system

Plant
(aircraft with control surfaces)

Since the actuators are integrated with the

aircraft, we only use one set of models
 Course Content

Week 6: Autopilot control laws

• What is an autopilot?
• A system used to guide an aircraft (the
inertial position (𝑝𝑛 , 𝑝𝑒 , ℎ) and attitude
(𝜙, 𝜃, 𝜓)) without the assistance of a pilot.

Altitude Control
PI Pitch Control

PD
Successive loop closure
Course Content

Week 1-6

From the point of control system

Plant
Controller
(aircraft with control surfaces)

To generate signals
to command the
control surfaces
 Course Content

Week 8: Sensors and State estimation Why we need sensors? Get feedback

Sensors commonly used for guidance and control of small-scale aircrafts

• Accelerometers
• Rate gyros
√
• Pressure sensors √
√
• Digital compasses
?
• Global navigation satellite system ?
?
?
?
Estimate states √
√
Extended Kalman filter (EKF) √
√
Course Content

Week 1-8

From the point of control system

Plant
Controller
(aircraft with control surfaces)

Sensors

State estimator
 Course Content

Weeks 9-10: Flight management

Flight management

Path • Straight-line segments

following • Constant-altitude circular orbits

Path • Waypoint following

manager • Dubins path

• Dijkstra's algorithm
Path
planning • RRT
• etc
System architecture
Course Content

Week 1-10

From the point of control system

Plant
Reference Controller
(aircraft with control surfaces)

Sensors

State estimator
Design project
Design project
• The design project is integrated with the course content.
• You will not only learn the teaching materials but also learn how to use them.
• You will end up with a simulated flight control system that allows you to command the
speed, altitude and course angle of a simulated aircraft.
 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction
• Week 2: Coordinate systems
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics
• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments
• Week 5: Design models
• Week 6: Autopilot control laws
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
 Design project

Task 0: Github https://github.com/Patr1ckL1/AAE4006

1. Github will be used throughout the design project.

2. It is a platform (you can imagine it as an upgraded Dropbox or One-Drive) to store and
share your files for the project.
3. Share the project files with your group mate via Github.
4. A tutorial is available to help you to use Github.
5. Following the guideline, you are required to create your own repository (you can
imagine it as just a folder on you PC).
6. Our student assistant Mr Zhengdao LI will help when you meet any issue about Github.
 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics
• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments
• Week 5: Design models
• Week 6: Autopilot control laws
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft

Design project

Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft

 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics
• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments
• Week 5: Design models
• Week 6: Autopilot control laws
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation

Design project

Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation

 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

• Week 5: Design models
• Week 6: Autopilot control laws
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics

• The 6-degree-of-freedom, 12-state model for the aircraft kinematics and dynamics:
 Design project

Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

Forces and torques

 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments • Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

• Week 5: Design models

• Week 6: Autopilot control laws
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments

• The total forces on the aircraft:

• The total torques on the aircraft:

 Design project

Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

control
surfaces
 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments • Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

• Week 5: Design models • Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition

• Week 6: Autopilot control laws

• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
 Design project

Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition

Trim conditions
 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments • Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

• Week 5: Design models • Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition

• Week 6: Autopilot control laws • Task 6: Autopilot design

• Week 7: Mid-term review and test

• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Task 6: Autopilot design

 Design project

• Task 0: Github
• Week 1: Introduction • Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Week 2: Coordinate systems • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation
• Week 3: Kinematics and dynamics • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

• Week 4: Aerodynamic forces and moments • Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

• Week 5: Design models • Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition

• Week 6: Autopilot control laws • Task 6: Autopilot design

• Task 7: State estimation (optional)
• Week 7: Mid-term review and test
• Week 8: Sensors and State estimation
• Week 9: Flight management I Lab report
• Week 10: Flight management II
• Week 11: Final review
Design project

Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft

Put the codes to generate

this aircraft into the block
Design project

Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation

12 states

Inherit from Task 1

 Design project

Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control

Inherit from Task 1

Implement the models relating

forces and moments and dynamics
 Design project

Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control

Inherit from Task 3 Inherit from Task 1

control
surfaces

Implement the models relating control

surfaces and forces and moments
 Design project

Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition

Trim conditions

The blocks are the same as Task 4

The difference lies in the input
Design project

Task 6: Autopilot design

Inherit from Task 1

To be developed

Inherit from Task 4 Inherit from Task 3

 Design project

Task 7: State estimation

Inherit from Tasks 3 and 4

Inherit from Task 6 Inherit from Task 1

To be developed
 Design project

• Should be done along the lectures.

• Will be done in a group of two students.
• Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft
• Two lab sessions: • Task 2: Implement coordinate system transformation

▪ Lab 1 Aircraft dynamics; Week 5 or • Task 3: Use forces and torques for aircraft control
• Task 4: Use control surfaces for aircraft control
Week 6;
• Task 5: Compute design models under trim condition
▪ Lab 2 Control system design; Week 8 • Task 6: Autopilot design
or Week 9 • Task 7: State estimation (optional)
• Each group will be assigned to two
particular weeks.
• Form groups by yourselves. If you could
not find a partner, email the lecturer.
Design project

• MATLAB/Simulink requires license.

• Room QT004b has computers with MATLAB/Simulink installed.
• This lab has no teaching allocation in Term 2, 2021-2022.
Assessment

Normal method:
• Class test (10%); Week 7; Individual
• Homework (20%); Week 4 and Week 9; Individual
• Lab report (20%); Week 10; Group
• Final exam (50%); TBA; Individual

Bonus: Every correct answer to in-class questions leads

to 1% in the final mark

Ceiling: 100%
Things to do and not to do

1. Have a pen and a piece of paper, or a device enabling to you write.

2. In classes and labs, silence mobile phones.
3. Unless organized by the lecturer, only brief discussion among
neighbors without affecting others is allowed.
4. After classes, discussing ideas among students is highly
encouraged.
5. However, directly sharing and borrowing is forbidden. Any violation
of this rule will lead to disqualification of both the borrower and
the lender.
Fundamental mathematics
Fundamental mathematics
1. Vectors
• A vector as a mathematical representation of a physical entity which has both
magnitude and direction in a 3D space.
• Examples of physical vectors are forces, moments, and velocities.
• Geometrically, a vector can be represented as arrows. The length of the arrow
represents its magnitude.

Vector addition
• To add vector B to vector A, we simply place the tail of B at
the head of A.
• The sum is a vector C from the tail of A to the head of B.
• Thus, we write C = A + B. The same result is obtained if the
roles of A and B are reversed. That is, C = A + B = B + A.
Fundamental mathematics
2. Dot product of vectors Resulting in a scalar Scalar product

Algebraic definition
a

The dot product of two vectors a and b is defined by

Geometric definition 𝜃

b
Fundamental mathematics
2. Dot product of vectors Resulting in a scalar Scalar product

How to derive the Law of Cosines using the definition of scalar product?

For an arbitrary triangle with sides of length A, B, and C, we have

Bonus
𝐶 2 = 𝐴2 + 𝐵2 − 2𝐴𝐵 cos 𝜃

𝐶Ԧ = 𝐴Ԧ + 𝐵
2
Ԧ 2 = 𝐴Ԧ + 𝐵
(𝐶) 𝐶Ԧ
𝐵
2 2 Ԧ
𝐶 = 𝐴 + 𝐵 + 2𝐴𝐵 2
𝜋−𝜃 𝜃
𝐶 2 = 𝐴2 + 𝐵2 + 2𝐴𝐵 cos(𝜋 − 𝜃)
𝐴Ԧ 𝐴Ԧ
𝐶2 = 𝐴2 + 𝐵2 − 2𝐴𝐵 cos 𝜃
Fundamental mathematics
3. Cross product of vectors Resulting in a vector

The cross product of two vectors a and b is denoted by a × b

• 𝜃 is the angle between a and b in the plane containing them (𝜃 ∈ [0, 𝜋]);
• n is a unit vector perpendicular to the plane containing a and b, in the
direction given by the right-hand rule.

Does the order of the vectors in a cross product matter?

a × b = b × a ??? a b
b a
Fundamental mathematics
4. Differentiation

𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑔 𝑥 ℎ(𝑥)

The time derivative of 𝑓 𝑥 is

𝑑𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑔(𝑥) 𝑑ℎ(𝑥)

= ℎ 𝑥 +𝑔 𝑥
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑓ሶ 𝑥 = 𝑔ሶ 𝑥 ℎ 𝑥 + 𝑔 𝑥 ℎሶ 𝑥
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

• Simulink is a simulation and model-based design environment for dynamic and

embedded systems, integrated with MATLAB.
 Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

Browse an
existing file
or open a
recent model
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
 Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

Most embedded blocks

have their parameter
windows.
For a block you are not
familiar, always read the
content in this window.
Double click a block;
its parameter
window appears
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

• Simulink is a simulation and model-based design environment for dynamic and

embedded systems, integrated with MATLAB.
• It is basically a graphical block diagramming tool with customizable set of block
libraries.
• You can incorporate MATLAB parameters and algorithms into Simulink models.
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

Double clicking, we
go into this block
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink
Introduction of MATLAB/Simulink

• Simulink is a simulation and model-based design environment for dynamic and

embedded systems, integrated with MATLAB.
• It is basically a graphical block diagramming tool with customizable set of block
libraries.
• You can incorporate MATLAB parameters and algorithms into Simulink models.
• There are several other add-on products provided by MathWorks and third-party
hardware and software products that are available for use with Simulink.
Tutorial on Task 1 of design project
Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project

Design project Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft

Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project

Design project Task 1: Build a fixed-wing aircraft

Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project

• Basic idea: the aircraft composes a number of surfaces. By carefully drawing the
faces, you will have an aircraft model.
• Each surface is a polygon, which has a number of vertices.
• So, to draw a surface, a set of vertices needs to be defined first.
• Let’s consider a rectangular. Its four vertices are: V = [1 1 0; 1 -2 0; -1 -2 0; -1 1 0]
• Define how the sequence of the vertices: F = [1 2 3 4].
Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project
Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project
To see the full
introduction of “patch”?
Google: MATLAB patch
 Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project

We can also use this function

patch to draw multiple
surfaces in one-line
 Where is the centre of the coordinate system?
What is the x-y-z coordinates of point 1 and 2?

1
2

1
Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project

• You will get all the parameters for the

aircraft model.
• Define the coordinates of vertices V.
• Create a vertex list F.
• Use the function patch to draw the
aircraft.
Summary of Lecture 1
Summary

• We introduced the outline of the course: lecture content and design project.

• Schedule of the semester and assessment method.

• Introduction to MATLAB/Simulink and Tutorial on Task 1 of the design project.

• Things to do after the lecture:

• Find a group partner.

• Complete Task 0 by 20 Jan. 2022.

• Complete Task 1. A file with the parameters of the aircraft is available in Github).