Nonlinear H∞ robust control applied to F-16 aircraft with mass uncertainty using control surface inverse algorithm

In this paper, an analytic solution of nonlinear H∞ robust controller is first proposed and used in a complete six degree-of-freedom nonlinear equations of motion of flight vehicle system with mass and moment inertia uncertainties. A special Lyapunov function with mass and moment inertia uncertainties is considered to solve the associated Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential inequality (HJPDI). The HJPDI is solved analytically, resulting in a nonlinear H∞ robust controller with simple proportional feedback structure. Next, the control surface inverse algorithm (CSIA) is introduced to determine the angles of control surface deflection from the nonlinear H∞ control command. The ranges of prefilter and loss ratio that guarantee stability and robustness of nonlinear H∞ flight control system implemented by CSIA are derived. Real aerodynamic data, engine data and actuator system of F-16 aircraft are carried out in numerical simulations to verify the proposed scheme. The results show that the responses still keep good convergence for large initial perturbation and the robust stability with mass and moment inertia uncertainties in the permissible ranges of the prefilter and loss ratio for which this design guarantees stability give same conclusion.