Module 5:
Stability & Control
Drone Payload capacity
Drone Payload Capacity is given by the formula
P=T*M*H-W
P: Payload capacity
T: Thrust
M: [Link] Motors
H: Hover Throttle Percentage
W: Weight of the drone
Static Stability Equations:
Example equations:
ΣF_x = 0 (Sum of forces in the x-direction)
ΣF_y = 0 (Sum of forces in the y-direction)
ΣF_z = 0 (Sum of forces in the z-direction)
ΣM_x = 0 (Sum of moments about the x-axis)
ΣM_y = 0 (Sum of moments about the y-axis)
ΣM_z = 0 (Sum of moments about the z-axis)
Exercise 1: Given the following forces and moments acting on a
quadcopter in stationary flight:
F_x = 0 N (no horizontal movement)
F_y = 0 N (no lateral movement)
F_z = mg N (weight supported by thrust)
M_x = 0 Nm (no roll)
M_y = 0 Nm (no pitch)
M_z = 0 Nm (no yaw)
Find the thrust required from each motor to maintain
equilibrium if the total mass of the quadcopter is 2 kg.
Solution 1: Since the sum of forces and moments equals zero in each
direction, we can use these equations to find the required thrust
from each motor.
F_z = mg
Therefore, each motor must provide a thrust of F_thrust = mg/4
Given mass (m) = 2 kg
acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.81 m/s²:
F_thrust = (2 kg * 9.81 m/s²) / 4
F_thrust ≈ 4.905 N
So, each motor should produce approximately 4.905 N of thrust to
maintain equilibrium.
Dynamic stability
• The vehicle can be statically stable but dynamically unstable.
• Static stability, therefore, does not guarantee dynamic stability.
• However, for the vehicle to be dynamically stable, it must be statically
stable.
Dynamic stability
x˙=Ax+Bu (State-space equation for a linearized system)
y=Cx+Du (Output equation)
• A, B, C, and D matrices are derived from the linearized equations
of motion
• x represents state variables
(e.g., position, velocity, attitude angles, angular rates)
• u represents control inputs
(e.g., motor commands, control surface deflections)
• y represents system outputs
(e.g., sensor measurements)
Exercise 2: Dynamic Stability Consider a quadcopter with the
following state-space representation:
x represents the state vector containing position
and velocity in the x and z directions.
u represents the control input vector containing
motor commands for roll and yaw.
y represents the output vector containing position
measurements in the x and z directions.
Determine the stability of the system by analyzing the
eigenvalues of the A matrix.
Solution 2: The system's stability can be determined by
analyzing the eigenvalues of the A matrix.
• Compute the eigenvalues of the
A matrix
• The eigenvalues are real and
negative, indicating that the
the system is stable but critically
damped.
LONGITUDINAL CONTROL
• Longitudinal control of a UAV quadcopter involves controlling its
motion along the longitudinal axis, which typically corresponds to
the forward and backward motion of the vehicle. This control is
essential for tasks like maintaining altitude, pitch stabilization, and
controlling forward or backward acceleration.
• One common approach to longitudinal control is to use a
proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. The PID controller
computes a control signal based on the error between the desired
longitudinal motion and the actual longitudinal motion measured by
sensors. The control signal is then used to adjust the vehicle's motor
commands to achieve the desired motion.
The equation for a PID controller used in longitudinal control can be written as:
The error signal e(t) is typically computed as the difference between a
desired longitudinal motion setpoint (such as desired altitude or desired
pitch angle) and the actual longitudinal motion measured by sensors (such
as altitude sensors or an inertial measurement unit).
The PID gains Kp, Ki, and Kd are tuned empirically to achieve desired
performance characteristics, such as responsiveness, stability, and
disturbance rejection.
In summary, the equation for longitudinal control of a UAV quadcopter
using a PID controller involves computing a control signal based on the
error between desired and actual longitudinal motion, with proportional,
integral, and derivative terms to adjust the motor commands and achieve
the desired motion.
Exercise3
Consider a UAV quadcopter tasked with maintaining a constant altitude of 10
meters above the ground. The quadcopter is equipped with altitude sensors that
provide altitude measurements with a sampling rate of 10 Hz. The quadcopter's PID
controller for longitudinal control has been designed with the following parameters:
Proportional gain (Kp): 2
Integral gain (Ki): 0.1
Derivative gain (Kd): 1
At time t=0, the quadcopter's initial altitude is 9 meters. Determine the control
signal required by the PID controller at t=1 second to maintain the quadcopter's
altitude at the desired setpoint.
Note:
If time is assumed constant, then the value of e(0) to e(1) will remain the same. For Ex:
e(0)=e(9)=e(1)=e(4.5)
Directional stability and control
• The equation for directional stability and control of a UAV quadcopter can be expanded to
consider the aerodynamic forces , moments, motor thrusts, and torques. A more comprehensive
equation may look like this:
Yaw Torque=∑Motor Torques + Aerodynamic Torques + External Torques
Where:
∑Motor Torques: represents the total torque generated by the motors' thrust imbalance. This is
the primary contributor to yaw motion and is often proportional to the difference in rotational
speeds between opposing pairs of motors.
Aerodynamic Torques: Aerodynamic Torques represent any additional yaw torque generated by
aerodynamic effects, such as airflow over the frame or propellers, which can influence the
quadcopter's yaw behavior.
External Torques: External Torques represent any external disturbances or inputs that contribute
to yaw motion, such as wind gusts or control inputs from the pilot.
Directional stability and control
• The specific contributions from each of these terms may vary depending on
factors such as the quadcopter's design, aerodynamic characteristics, and
environmental conditions.
• Additionally, the control inputs or commands for yaw control can be influenced by
factors such as sensor feedback, flight controller algorithms, and control strategies.
These factors may affect how the control inputs are translated into motor
commands to achieve the desired yaw motion.
• In summary, while the basic principle of generating yaw torque through motor
thrust imbalance remains, the complete equation for directional stability and
control of a UAV quadcopter involves considering additional factors such as
aerodynamic effects and external disturbances.
Directional stability and control- Exercise 5
Suppose you are designing a UAV quadcopter and must analyze its yaw
stability and control.
The quadcopter has the following specifications:
Mass: 2 kg
Motor thrust (maximum): 20 N per motor
Arm length: 0.2 meters
Aerodynamic torque coefficient: 0.1 Nm/(rad/s)
At a certain moment during flight, a wind gust causes the quadcopter to
experience a yaw torque of 1 Nm.
Calculate the required motor thrust imbalance to counteract the wind
gust and maintain stable yaw motion.
∑Motor Torques=Motor Thrust Imbalance*mass*Arm Length(L)
Aerodynamic Torques= Caero * Yaw Angular Velocity
Roll stability and control
• Roll stability and control of a UAV quadcopter involve controlling its
orientation and motion along the roll axis. One common method for
achieving roll control is by adjusting the thrust output of motors on
opposing sides of the quadcopter.
• The equation for roll stability and control can be expressed as follows:
Roll Torque=kr×(Thrust Difference)
Where:
• kr is a constant representing the proportionality between the roll torque
and the thrust difference.
• "Thrust Difference" refers to the difference in thrust output between
motors on one side of the quadcopter and those on the opposite side.
Roll stability and control
• In practice, the roll torque is generated by varying the rotational speeds of motors
across the quadcopter's diagonal axis. By increasing the thrust of motors on one
diagonal while decreasing the thrust of motors on the opposite diagonal, a torque
imbalance is created, inducing roll motion.
• The control inputs for roll control typically come from the pilot's input commands
through the control sticks or are generated by the flight controller based on
autonomous navigation algorithms. These control inputs are translated into
adjustments in motor thrust to achieve the desired roll motion.
• It's essential to note that the specific implementation and control strategies for roll
stability and control may vary based on factors such as the quadcopter's design, flight
controller configuration, and flight conditions. Therefore, the equation provided serves
as a general representation of the relationship between roll torque and control inputs
for a UAV quadcopter.
Roll stability and control- Exercise 6
• Suppose you are piloting a UAV quadcopter, and you want to
execute a roll maneuver to the right. The quadcopter has a mass of
1.5 kg, and the distance between motors on the diagonal axis is 0.3
meters. During the roll maneuver, you increase the thrust output of
motors on the left diagonal by 0.5 N each while decreasing the
thrust output of motors on the right diagonal by 0.5 N each.
• Calculate the resulting roll torque generated by this thrust
difference.