Dynamic modeling of a hose-drogue aerial refueling system（HDARS） and an integral sliding mode backstepping controller design for the hose whipping phenomenon（HWP） during probe-drogue coupling are studied. Firstly,...Dynamic modeling of a hose-drogue aerial refueling system（HDARS） and an integral sliding mode backstepping controller design for the hose whipping phenomenon（HWP） during probe-drogue coupling are studied. Firstly, a dynamic model of the variable-length hose-drogue assembly is built for the sake of exploiting suppression methods for the whipping phenomenon.Based on the lumped parameter method, the hose is modeled by a series of variable-length links connected with frictionless joints. A set of iterative equations of the hose＇s three-dimensional motion is derived subject to hose reeling in/out, tanker motion, gravity, and aerodynamic loads accounting for the effects of steady wind, atmospheric turbulence, and tanker wake. Secondly,relying on a permanent magnet synchronous motor and high-precision position sensors, a new active control strategy for the HWP on the basis of the relative position between the tanker and the receiver is proposed. Considering the strict-feedback configuration of the permanent magnet synchronous motor, a rotor position control law based on the backstepping method is designed to insure global stability. An integral of the rotor position error and an exponential sliding mode reaching law of the current errors are applied to enhance control accuracy and robustness. Finally,the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed model and control laws.展开更多
Volatile organic compounds（VOCs） are crucial to control air pollution in major Chinese cities since VOCs are the dominant factor influencing ambient ozone level, and also an important precursor of secondary organic ...Volatile organic compounds（VOCs） are crucial to control air pollution in major Chinese cities since VOCs are the dominant factor influencing ambient ozone level, and also an important precursor of secondary organic aerosols. Vehicular evaporative emissions have become a major and growing source of VOC emissions in China. This study consists of lab tests, technology evaluation, emissions modeling, policy projections and cost-benefit analysis to draw a roadmap for China for controlling vehicular evaporative emissions. The analysis suggests that evaporative VOC emissions from China＇s light-duty gasoline vehicles were approximately 185,000 ton in 2010 and would peak at 1,200,000 ton in 2040 without control. The current control strategy implemented in China, as shown in business as usual（BAU） scenario, will barely reduce the long-term growth in emissions. Even if Stage II gasoline station vapor control policies were extended national wide（BAU ＋ extended Stage II）, there would still be over 400,000 ton fuel loss in 2050. In contrast, the implementation of on-board refueling vapor recovery（ORVR） on new cars could reduce 97.5% of evaporative VOCs by 2050（BAU ＋ ORVR/BAU ＋ delayed ORVR）. According to the results, a combined Stage II and ORVR program is a comprehensive solution that provides both short-term and long-term benefits. The net cost to achieve the optimal total evaporative VOC control is approximately 62 billion CNY in 2025 and 149 billion CNY in 2050.展开更多
The lack of autonomous aerial refueling capabilities is one of the greatest limitations of unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper discusses the vision-based estimation of the relative pose of a tanker and unmanned aeria...The lack of autonomous aerial refueling capabilities is one of the greatest limitations of unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper discusses the vision-based estimation of the relative pose of a tanker and unmanned aerial vehicle, which is a key issue in autonomous aerial refueling. The main task of this paper is to study the relative pose estimation for a tanker and unmanned aerial vehicle in the phase of commencing refueling and during refueling. The employed algorithm includes the initialization of the orientation parameters and an orthogonal iteration algorithm to estimate the optimal solution of rotation matrix and translation vector. In simulation experiments, because of the small variation in the rotation angle in aerial refueling, the method in which the initial rotation matrix is the identity matrix is found to be the most stable and accurate among methods. Finally, the paper discusses the effects of the number and configuration of feature points on the accuracy of the estimation results when using this method.展开更多
Drogue recognition and 3D locating is a key problem during the docking phase of the autonomous aerial refueling （AAR）. To solve this problem, a novel and effective method based on monocular vision is presented in th...Drogue recognition and 3D locating is a key problem during the docking phase of the autonomous aerial refueling （AAR）. To solve this problem, a novel and effective method based on monocular vision is presented in this paper. Firstly, by employing computer vision with red-ring-shape feature, a drogue detection and recognition algorithm is proposed to guarantee safety and ensure the robustness to the drogue diversity and the changes in environmental condi- tions, without using a set of infrared light emitting diodes （LEDs） on the parachute part of the dro- gue. Secondly, considering camera lens distortion, a monocular vision measurement algorithm for drogue 3D locating is designed to ensure the accuracy and real-time performance of the system, with the drogue attitude provided. Finally, experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effective- ness of the proposed method. Experimental results show the performances of the entire system in contrast with other methods, which validates that the proposed method can recognize and locate the drogue three dimensionally, rapidly and precisely.展开更多
In a probe and drogue aerial refueling system, the bow wave of the receiver aircraft will produce a strong aerodynamic effect on the drogue once the receiver follows the drogue at a close distance. It is a major diffi...In a probe and drogue aerial refueling system, the bow wave of the receiver aircraft will produce a strong aerodynamic effect on the drogue once the receiver follows the drogue at a close distance. It is a major difficulty of docking control in the probe and drogue refueling. This paper analyses the bow wave effect and presents a simple method to model it. Firstly, the inviscid flow around the receiver is modeled based on the stream function defined by basic stream singularities. Secondly, a correction function is developed to eliminate the error caused by the absence of air vis- cosity. Then, the aerodynamic coefficients are used to calculate the induced aerodynamic force on the drogue. The obtained model is in an analytical form that can be easily applied to the controller design and the real-time simulations. In the verification part, computational fluid dynamics （CFD） simulation tests are conducted to validate the obtained flow fields and aerodynamic forces. Finally, the modeling method is applied to an F-16 receiver aircraft in a previously developed autonomous aerial refueling simulation system. The simulations results are analyzed and compared with the NASA flight-test data, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.展开更多
Drogue detection is a fundamental issue during the close docking phase of autonomous aerial refueling（AAR）. To cope with this issue, a novel and effective method based on deep learning with convolutional neural netw...Drogue detection is a fundamental issue during the close docking phase of autonomous aerial refueling（AAR）. To cope with this issue, a novel and effective method based on deep learning with convolutional neural networks（CNNs） is proposed. In order to ensure its robustness and wide application, a deep learning dataset of images was prepared by utilizing real data of ‘‘Probe and Drogue＂ aerial refueling, which contains diverse drogues in various environmental conditions without artificial features placed on the drogues. By employing deep learning ideas and graphics processing units（GPUs）, a model for drogue detection using a Caffe deep learning framework with CNNs was designed to ensure the method＇s accuracy and real-time performance. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and results based on real AAR data compare its performance to other methods, validating the accuracy, speed, and robustness of its drogue detection ability.展开更多
Designing a controller for the docking maneuver in Probe-Drogue Refueling(PDR) is an important but challenging task, due to the complex system model and the high precision requirement.In order to overcome the disadvan...Designing a controller for the docking maneuver in Probe-Drogue Refueling(PDR) is an important but challenging task, due to the complex system model and the high precision requirement.In order to overcome the disadvantage of only feedback control, a feedforward control scheme known as Iterative Learning Control(ILC) is adopted in this paper.First, Additive State Decomposition(ASD) is used to address the tight coupling of input saturation, nonlinearity and the property of Non Minimum Phase(NMP) by separating these features into two subsystems(a primary system and a secondary system).After system decomposition, an adjoint-type ILC is applied to the Linear Time-Invariant(LTI) primary system with NMP to achieve entire output trajectory tracking, whereas state feedback is used to stabilize the secondary system with input saturation.The two controllers designed for the two subsystems can be combined to achieve the original control goal of the PDR system.Furthermore, to compensate for the receiverindependent uncertainties, a correction action is proposed by using the terminal docking error,which can lead to a smaller docking error at the docking moment.Simulation tests have been carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control method, which has some advantages over the traditional derivative-type ILC and adjoint-type ILC in the docking control of PDR.展开更多
Studied in this paper is dynamic modeling and simulation application of the receiver aircraft with the time-varying mass and inertia property in an integrated simulation environment which includes two other significan...Studied in this paper is dynamic modeling and simulation application of the receiver aircraft with the time-varying mass and inertia property in an integrated simulation environment which includes two other significant factors, i.e., a hose-drogue assembly dynamic model with the variable-length property and the wind effect due to the tanker＇s trailing vortices. By extending equations of motion of a fixed weight aircraft derived by Lewis et al., a new set of equations of motion for a receiver in aerial refueling is derived. The equations include the time-varying mass and inertia property due to fuel transfer and the fuel consumption by engines, and the fuel tanks have a rectangle shape rather than a mass point. They are derived in terms of the translational and rotational position and velocity of the receiver with respect to an inertial reference frame. A linear quadratic regulator （LQR） controller is designed based on a group of linearized equations under the initial receiver mass condition. The equations of motion of the receiver with a LQR con- troller are implemented in the integrated simulation environment for autonomous approaching and station-keeping of the receiver in simulations.展开更多
By refueling aircraft while they are in flight,aerial refueling is an efficient technique to extend their endurance and range.Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR)is anticipated to be used to complete aerial refueling for ...By refueling aircraft while they are in flight,aerial refueling is an efficient technique to extend their endurance and range.Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR)is anticipated to be used to complete aerial refueling for unmanned aircraft.There are three aerial refueling methods:the Probe-and-Drogue Refueling(PDR)refueling method,the flying-boom refueling method,and the boom-drogue-adapter refueling method.The paper considers the PDR approach,the most challenging of the three,because the flexible hose-drogue assembly has fast dynamics and is susceptible to various kinds of winds,which makes the probe docking with the drogue difficult.PDR is divided into four phases,namely the rendezvous phase,joining phase,refueling phase,and reform phase,with the refueling phase being the most crucial.The controller design faces the greatest challenge during the docking control of the refueling phase since it calls for a high level of safety,precision,and efficiency.As a result,the modeling and control issues encountered during the refueling phase are typical and difficult.The fundamental idea of AAR is presented in the paper first,after which the characteristics and requirements of AAR are outlined.The progress in modeling and control techniques for the AAR’s refueling phase is then systematically reviewed.Finally,potential future work for high safety,precision,and efficiency requirements is examined and suggested.展开更多
Recently,deep learning has been widely utilized for object tracking tasks.However,deep learning encounters limits in tasks such as Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR),where the target object can vary substantially in siz...Recently,deep learning has been widely utilized for object tracking tasks.However,deep learning encounters limits in tasks such as Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR),where the target object can vary substantially in size,requiring high-precision real-time performance in embedded systems.This paper presents a novel embedded adaptiveness single-object tracking framework based on an improved YOLOv4 detection approach and an n-fold Bernoulli probability theorem.First,an Asymmetric Convolutional Network(ACNet)and dense blocks are combined with the YOLOv4 architecture to detect small objects with high precision when similar objects are in the background.The prior object information,such as its location in the previous frame and its speed,is utilized to adaptively track objects of various sizes.Moreover,based on the n-fold Bernoulli probability theorem,we develop a filter that uses statistical laws to reduce the false positive rate of object tracking.To evaluate the efficiency of our algorithm,a new AAR dataset is collected,and extensive AAR detection and tracking experiments are performed.The results demonstrate that our improved detection algorithm is better than the original YOLOv4 algorithm on small and similar object detection tasks;the object tracking algorithm is better than state-of-the-art object tracking algorithms on refueling drogue tracking tasks.展开更多
Conventional method for hose-drogue model of aerial refueling system is known to be complex due to the flexible body of hose.And as reported,drogues are unstable in atmospheric turbulence,which greatly decreases docki...Conventional method for hose-drogue model of aerial refueling system is known to be complex due to the flexible body of hose.And as reported,drogues are unstable in atmospheric turbulence,which greatly decreases docking success rates.This paper proposes a dynamic model for a hose-drogue aerial refueling system based on Kane equation and rigid multi-body dynamics,and analyzes its performance.Furthermore,the nonlinear dynamic model is linearized at the equilibrium point and simplified from full order to 2 nd order.Based on the simplified 2 nd order model,active control strategies,including proportion integral derivative(PID)and liner quadratic regulator(LQR)control laws,are designed to inhibit the pendulum movement of drogue due to,atmospheric turbulences.Numerical simulation results show the significant correctness of the proposed dynamic model by steady-state drag and balance position of drogue when the tanker flights under different conditions.Moreover,the steady state position error varies within 1 cm,thanks to either controller,when the drogue suffers from moderate-level atmospheric turbulences.Further,the PID controller exhibits better control effect and higher control precision than LQR controller.展开更多
The rendezvous and formation problem is a significant part for the unmanned aerial vehicle（UAV） autonomous aerial refueling（AAR） technique. It can be divided into two major phases： the long-range guidance phase a...The rendezvous and formation problem is a significant part for the unmanned aerial vehicle（UAV） autonomous aerial refueling（AAR） technique. It can be divided into two major phases： the long-range guidance phase and the formation phase. In this paper, an iterative computation guidance law（ICGL） is proposed to compute a series of state variables to get the solution of a control variable for a UAV conducting rendezvous with a tanker in AAR. The proposed method can make the control variable converge to zero when the tanker and the UAV receiver come to a formation flight eventually. For the long-range guidance phase, the ICGL divides it into two sub-phases： the correction sub-phase and the guidance sub-phase. The two sub-phases share the same iterative process. As for the formation phase, a velocity coordinate system is created by which control accelerations are designed to make the speed of the UAV consistent with that of the tanker.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ICGL is effective and robust against wind disturbance.展开更多
Unmanned autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling(AAR)capability is the key guarantee to support the distant-field,high-intensity and durable operations of the penetration counterair combat system.In the future,the long-range ...Unmanned autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling(AAR)capability is the key guarantee to support the distant-field,high-intensity and durable operations of the penetration counterair combat system.In the future,the long-range unmanned reconnaissance and attack platform can reach the maximum flight range requirement through AAR.At present,large transport aircraft platforms in China are still equipped with probe-and-drogue systems,and the refueling mode is gradually changing from manned to unmanned autonomous operation.The docking process is the riskiest and most important part,and there are strict safety,precision,and efficiency requirements for refueling operation,especially during close-distance docking and formation maintenance phases.In this paper,five issues that need to be solved to achieve autonomous AAR docking are summarized.On this basis,five key technology development needs are proposed to solve these engineering issues.Finally,some prospects are given.展开更多
The flight control law design for tanker should ensure that the closed-loop response can meet the aerial refueling mission requirements. In order to reveal the movement characteristics of the tanker and the handling c...The flight control law design for tanker should ensure that the closed-loop response can meet the aerial refueling mission requirements. In order to reveal the movement characteristics of the tanker and the handling characteristics of the pilot in aerial refueling, the flight path capture and hold under gust disturbance task is designed as the demonstration maneuver mission to evaluate the flying qualities for tanker in aerial refueling task, which is based on the design requirements of maneuvering tasks used in mission-oriented flying qualities assessment. By analyzing the flight path tracking and holding requirements of the tanker in aerial refueling mission, the relevant parameters that reflect the response characteristics of the tanker in pitch and roll axes are put forward. The ground flight simulation test based on mission-oriented flight quality assessment is conducted, and the test pilot's assessment results based on Cooper-Harper rating and PIO scales are obtained for different flight control law configurations. The suggested requirements of the closed-loop response characteristics of the pitch and roll axes of the tanker are put forward, which can be specifications for the aerial refueling mode flight control design of tanker.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61304120)
文摘Dynamic modeling of a hose-drogue aerial refueling system（HDARS） and an integral sliding mode backstepping controller design for the hose whipping phenomenon（HWP） during probe-drogue coupling are studied. Firstly, a dynamic model of the variable-length hose-drogue assembly is built for the sake of exploiting suppression methods for the whipping phenomenon.Based on the lumped parameter method, the hose is modeled by a series of variable-length links connected with frictionless joints. A set of iterative equations of the hose＇s three-dimensional motion is derived subject to hose reeling in/out, tanker motion, gravity, and aerodynamic loads accounting for the effects of steady wind, atmospheric turbulence, and tanker wake. Secondly,relying on a permanent magnet synchronous motor and high-precision position sensors, a new active control strategy for the HWP on the basis of the relative position between the tanker and the receiver is proposed. Considering the strict-feedback configuration of the permanent magnet synchronous motor, a rotor position control law based on the backstepping method is designed to insure global stability. An integral of the rotor position error and an exponential sliding mode reaching law of the current errors are applied to enhance control accuracy and robustness. Finally,the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed model and control laws.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71101078)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2013AA065303D)the National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Research Fund (No. 201209003 and No.201409021)
文摘Volatile organic compounds（VOCs） are crucial to control air pollution in major Chinese cities since VOCs are the dominant factor influencing ambient ozone level, and also an important precursor of secondary organic aerosols. Vehicular evaporative emissions have become a major and growing source of VOC emissions in China. This study consists of lab tests, technology evaluation, emissions modeling, policy projections and cost-benefit analysis to draw a roadmap for China for controlling vehicular evaporative emissions. The analysis suggests that evaporative VOC emissions from China＇s light-duty gasoline vehicles were approximately 185,000 ton in 2010 and would peak at 1,200,000 ton in 2040 without control. The current control strategy implemented in China, as shown in business as usual（BAU） scenario, will barely reduce the long-term growth in emissions. Even if Stage II gasoline station vapor control policies were extended national wide（BAU ＋ extended Stage II）, there would still be over 400,000 ton fuel loss in 2050. In contrast, the implementation of on-board refueling vapor recovery（ORVR） on new cars could reduce 97.5% of evaporative VOCs by 2050（BAU ＋ ORVR/BAU ＋ delayed ORVR）. According to the results, a combined Stage II and ORVR program is a comprehensive solution that provides both short-term and long-term benefits. The net cost to achieve the optimal total evaporative VOC control is approximately 62 billion CNY in 2025 and 149 billion CNY in 2050.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China （51075207） Startup Foundation for Introduced Talents of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics （1007-YAH10047）
文摘The lack of autonomous aerial refueling capabilities is one of the greatest limitations of unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper discusses the vision-based estimation of the relative pose of a tanker and unmanned aerial vehicle, which is a key issue in autonomous aerial refueling. The main task of this paper is to study the relative pose estimation for a tanker and unmanned aerial vehicle in the phase of commencing refueling and during refueling. The employed algorithm includes the initialization of the orientation parameters and an orthogonal iteration algorithm to estimate the optimal solution of rotation matrix and translation vector. In simulation experiments, because of the small variation in the rotation angle in aerial refueling, the method in which the initial rotation matrix is the identity matrix is found to be the most stable and accurate among methods. Finally, the paper discusses the effects of the number and configuration of feature points on the accuracy of the estimation results when using this method.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61473307,61304120)
文摘Drogue recognition and 3D locating is a key problem during the docking phase of the autonomous aerial refueling （AAR）. To solve this problem, a novel and effective method based on monocular vision is presented in this paper. Firstly, by employing computer vision with red-ring-shape feature, a drogue detection and recognition algorithm is proposed to guarantee safety and ensure the robustness to the drogue diversity and the changes in environmental condi- tions, without using a set of infrared light emitting diodes （LEDs） on the parachute part of the dro- gue. Secondly, considering camera lens distortion, a monocular vision measurement algorithm for drogue 3D locating is designed to ensure the accuracy and real-time performance of the system, with the drogue attitude provided. Finally, experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effective- ness of the proposed method. Experimental results show the performances of the entire system in contrast with other methods, which validates that the proposed method can recognize and locate the drogue three dimensionally, rapidly and precisely.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61473012 and 51375462)
文摘In a probe and drogue aerial refueling system, the bow wave of the receiver aircraft will produce a strong aerodynamic effect on the drogue once the receiver follows the drogue at a close distance. It is a major difficulty of docking control in the probe and drogue refueling. This paper analyses the bow wave effect and presents a simple method to model it. Firstly, the inviscid flow around the receiver is modeled based on the stream function defined by basic stream singularities. Secondly, a correction function is developed to eliminate the error caused by the absence of air vis- cosity. Then, the aerodynamic coefficients are used to calculate the induced aerodynamic force on the drogue. The obtained model is in an analytical form that can be easily applied to the controller design and the real-time simulations. In the verification part, computational fluid dynamics （CFD） simulation tests are conducted to validate the obtained flow fields and aerodynamic forces. Finally, the modeling method is applied to an F-16 receiver aircraft in a previously developed autonomous aerial refueling simulation system. The simulations results are analyzed and compared with the NASA flight-test data, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
基金co-supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Nos. 2012CB316301, 2013CB329403)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61473307, 61304120, 61273023, 61332007)
文摘Drogue detection is a fundamental issue during the close docking phase of autonomous aerial refueling（AAR）. To cope with this issue, a novel and effective method based on deep learning with convolutional neural networks（CNNs） is proposed. In order to ensure its robustness and wide application, a deep learning dataset of images was prepared by utilizing real data of ‘‘Probe and Drogue＂ aerial refueling, which contains diverse drogues in various environmental conditions without artificial features placed on the drogues. By employing deep learning ideas and graphics processing units（GPUs）, a model for drogue detection using a Caffe deep learning framework with CNNs was designed to ensure the method＇s accuracy and real-time performance. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and results based on real AAR data compare its performance to other methods, validating the accuracy, speed, and robustness of its drogue detection ability.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61473012)。
文摘Designing a controller for the docking maneuver in Probe-Drogue Refueling(PDR) is an important but challenging task, due to the complex system model and the high precision requirement.In order to overcome the disadvantage of only feedback control, a feedforward control scheme known as Iterative Learning Control(ILC) is adopted in this paper.First, Additive State Decomposition(ASD) is used to address the tight coupling of input saturation, nonlinearity and the property of Non Minimum Phase(NMP) by separating these features into two subsystems(a primary system and a secondary system).After system decomposition, an adjoint-type ILC is applied to the Linear Time-Invariant(LTI) primary system with NMP to achieve entire output trajectory tracking, whereas state feedback is used to stabilize the secondary system with input saturation.The two controllers designed for the two subsystems can be combined to achieve the original control goal of the PDR system.Furthermore, to compensate for the receiverindependent uncertainties, a correction action is proposed by using the terminal docking error,which can lead to a smaller docking error at the docking moment.Simulation tests have been carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control method, which has some advantages over the traditional derivative-type ILC and adjoint-type ILC in the docking control of PDR.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.6147330761304120)
文摘Studied in this paper is dynamic modeling and simulation application of the receiver aircraft with the time-varying mass and inertia property in an integrated simulation environment which includes two other significant factors, i.e., a hose-drogue assembly dynamic model with the variable-length property and the wind effect due to the tanker＇s trailing vortices. By extending equations of motion of a fixed weight aircraft derived by Lewis et al., a new set of equations of motion for a receiver in aerial refueling is derived. The equations include the time-varying mass and inertia property due to fuel transfer and the fuel consumption by engines, and the fuel tanks have a rectangle shape rather than a mass point. They are derived in terms of the translational and rotational position and velocity of the receiver with respect to an inertial reference frame. A linear quadratic regulator （LQR） controller is designed based on a group of linearized equations under the initial receiver mass condition. The equations of motion of the receiver with a LQR con- troller are implemented in the integrated simulation environment for autonomous approaching and station-keeping of the receiver in simulations.
基金This study was co-supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.62103335,61973015,and 61473012)the Young Talent Fund of Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi,China(No.20230111).
文摘By refueling aircraft while they are in flight,aerial refueling is an efficient technique to extend their endurance and range.Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR)is anticipated to be used to complete aerial refueling for unmanned aircraft.There are three aerial refueling methods:the Probe-and-Drogue Refueling(PDR)refueling method,the flying-boom refueling method,and the boom-drogue-adapter refueling method.The paper considers the PDR approach,the most challenging of the three,because the flexible hose-drogue assembly has fast dynamics and is susceptible to various kinds of winds,which makes the probe docking with the drogue difficult.PDR is divided into four phases,namely the rendezvous phase,joining phase,refueling phase,and reform phase,with the refueling phase being the most crucial.The controller design faces the greatest challenge during the docking control of the refueling phase since it calls for a high level of safety,precision,and efficiency.As a result,the modeling and control issues encountered during the refueling phase are typical and difficult.The fundamental idea of AAR is presented in the paper first,after which the characteristics and requirements of AAR are outlined.The progress in modeling and control techniques for the AAR’s refueling phase is then systematically reviewed.Finally,potential future work for high safety,precision,and efficiency requirements is examined and suggested.
文摘Recently,deep learning has been widely utilized for object tracking tasks.However,deep learning encounters limits in tasks such as Autonomous Aerial Refueling(AAR),where the target object can vary substantially in size,requiring high-precision real-time performance in embedded systems.This paper presents a novel embedded adaptiveness single-object tracking framework based on an improved YOLOv4 detection approach and an n-fold Bernoulli probability theorem.First,an Asymmetric Convolutional Network(ACNet)and dense blocks are combined with the YOLOv4 architecture to detect small objects with high precision when similar objects are in the background.The prior object information,such as its location in the previous frame and its speed,is utilized to adaptively track objects of various sizes.Moreover,based on the n-fold Bernoulli probability theorem,we develop a filter that uses statistical laws to reduce the false positive rate of object tracking.To evaluate the efficiency of our algorithm,a new AAR dataset is collected,and extensive AAR detection and tracking experiments are performed.The results demonstrate that our improved detection algorithm is better than the original YOLOv4 algorithm on small and similar object detection tasks;the object tracking algorithm is better than state-of-the-art object tracking algorithms on refueling drogue tracking tasks.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61533008)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No. NZ2016104)the Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education(No.KYLX15_0276)
文摘Conventional method for hose-drogue model of aerial refueling system is known to be complex due to the flexible body of hose.And as reported,drogues are unstable in atmospheric turbulence,which greatly decreases docking success rates.This paper proposes a dynamic model for a hose-drogue aerial refueling system based on Kane equation and rigid multi-body dynamics,and analyzes its performance.Furthermore,the nonlinear dynamic model is linearized at the equilibrium point and simplified from full order to 2 nd order.Based on the simplified 2 nd order model,active control strategies,including proportion integral derivative(PID)and liner quadratic regulator(LQR)control laws,are designed to inhibit the pendulum movement of drogue due to,atmospheric turbulences.Numerical simulation results show the significant correctness of the proposed dynamic model by steady-state drag and balance position of drogue when the tanker flights under different conditions.Moreover,the steady state position error varies within 1 cm,thanks to either controller,when the drogue suffers from moderate-level atmospheric turbulences.Further,the PID controller exhibits better control effect and higher control precision than LQR controller.
基金partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61333004)partially by the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China(No.20115868009)partially by the open funding project of the State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems at Beihang University of China(No.BUAA-VR-13KF-01)
文摘The rendezvous and formation problem is a significant part for the unmanned aerial vehicle（UAV） autonomous aerial refueling（AAR） technique. It can be divided into two major phases： the long-range guidance phase and the formation phase. In this paper, an iterative computation guidance law（ICGL） is proposed to compute a series of state variables to get the solution of a control variable for a UAV conducting rendezvous with a tanker in AAR. The proposed method can make the control variable converge to zero when the tanker and the UAV receiver come to a formation flight eventually. For the long-range guidance phase, the ICGL divides it into two sub-phases： the correction sub-phase and the guidance sub-phase. The two sub-phases share the same iterative process. As for the formation phase, a velocity coordinate system is created by which control accelerations are designed to make the speed of the UAV consistent with that of the tanker.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ICGL is effective and robust against wind disturbance.
文摘Unmanned autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling(AAR)capability is the key guarantee to support the distant-field,high-intensity and durable operations of the penetration counterair combat system.In the future,the long-range unmanned reconnaissance and attack platform can reach the maximum flight range requirement through AAR.At present,large transport aircraft platforms in China are still equipped with probe-and-drogue systems,and the refueling mode is gradually changing from manned to unmanned autonomous operation.The docking process is the riskiest and most important part,and there are strict safety,precision,and efficiency requirements for refueling operation,especially during close-distance docking and formation maintenance phases.In this paper,five issues that need to be solved to achieve autonomous AAR docking are summarized.On this basis,five key technology development needs are proposed to solve these engineering issues.Finally,some prospects are given.
文摘The flight control law design for tanker should ensure that the closed-loop response can meet the aerial refueling mission requirements. In order to reveal the movement characteristics of the tanker and the handling characteristics of the pilot in aerial refueling, the flight path capture and hold under gust disturbance task is designed as the demonstration maneuver mission to evaluate the flying qualities for tanker in aerial refueling task, which is based on the design requirements of maneuvering tasks used in mission-oriented flying qualities assessment. By analyzing the flight path tracking and holding requirements of the tanker in aerial refueling mission, the relevant parameters that reflect the response characteristics of the tanker in pitch and roll axes are put forward. The ground flight simulation test based on mission-oriented flight quality assessment is conducted, and the test pilot's assessment results based on Cooper-Harper rating and PIO scales are obtained for different flight control law configurations. The suggested requirements of the closed-loop response characteristics of the pitch and roll axes of the tanker are put forward, which can be specifications for the aerial refueling mode flight control design of tanker.
