Pitch orientation control of twin-rotor MIMO system using sliding mode controller with state varying gains

Abstract

This work presents the controlling of the pitch orientation of a twin-rotor multi-input multi-output system (TRMS) using the sliding mode control (SMC) technique with variable gains. In this, the SMC is designed using variable gains where the pitch orientation error of the vertical dynamics of the TRMS system is intended to render the control law. The magnitude of the variable gains is related to the absolute value of the tracking error. Further, this technique minimised the chattering effect by ensuring the robustness property of the sliding modes. This design establishes a relationship between first and higher-order SMCs. The proposed controller is adapted from the twisting algorithm (TA) and conventional SMC. The control algorithm does not overestimate disturbances, resulting in a large reduction in control energy. Finally, a Lyapunov stability analysis is devised to demonstrate asymptotic stability. Simulations demonstrate the pitch orientation control and robustness of the proposed control scheme.

Keywords:

• Twin rotor MIMO system
• helicopter model
• sliding mode control
• robustness
• variable gains
• twisting algorithm

Acknowledgments

We are very thankful to anonymous reviewers and editor for their valuable suggestions and comments which helped us to improve the quality of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Koteswara Rao Palepogu

Koteswara Rao Palepogu received M.Tech. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, India majoring in embedded systems in 2012. He did his B.Tech. from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India in 2007. He is a research scholar in the School of Electronics Engineering of VIT-AP University, Amaravati, India. His research interests include adaptive robust control, helicopter systems.

Subhasish Mahapatra

Subhasish Mahapatra has received his PhD from National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India in 2018. He did his masters from Madras Institute of Technology Campus, Anna University Chennai in 2012, majoring in Instrumentation Engineering. Currently, he is working as Senior Assistant Professor in School of Electronics at VIT-AP University, India. He was involved in various projects for organisations like DST, DRDO, India towards the development of nonlinear control strategies for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. His research interest includes development of robust nonlinear control strategies for underwater robots, autonomous systems, Industrial systems.