Robust Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Agile Interceptor Missiles

Future ship defense missiles will be required to intercept highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles at widely varying altitudes. For effective operation of these agile interceptor missiles, the control system design must be nonlinear and robust. The control system design should explicitly take into account all hard limits on control surface deflections and safety limits. In addition, the control system must avoid aeroservoelastic instabilities by notching out the effect of flexible modes on the flight control system. Over the last tow decades starting with the pioneering work of Richalet et. al (1976) in France and Culter et. al (1980) in USA, great progress has been made in the development of Model Predictive Control (MPC) methods for optimal control of nonlinear uncertain dynamic systems under nonlinear MPC design for a Navy agile interceptor missile and to demonstrate its capability for the engagement of highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles at high angles-of-attack. The controller must be robust against unmodelled flexible dynamics and aerodynamic uncertainties at high angles-of-attack. Specific Phase I tasks are: (1) Problem formulation, simulation and data acquisition. (2) Identification of Flexible Modes using Stochastic Realization Algorithm (SRA). (3) Robust Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC) design. (4) Controller tuning testing. (5) Controller simplification and implementation. Phase II will involve prototype controller development, implementation and delivery to the Navy for flight testing. Prof. Brockett from Harvard Univ. and Prof. Sastry from UC Berkeley who are well-known experts in nonlinear control theory will provide consulting support.