Synchronised trajectory tracking for a network of MIMO non‐minimum phase systems with application to aircraft control
Yang Zhu, Jingyang Chen, Bo Zhu, Kaiyu Qin · IET Control Theory and Applications · 2018
In this study, the problem of synchronised trajectory tracking for a network of multi‐input–multi‐output (MIMO) non‐minimum phase (NMP) systems is addressed under a switching communication topology. First, an approach to convert the original system equation into a normal form is proposed, where a coordinate transformation matrix is introduced. Then, a control solution is developed, which is made up of a distributed observer network to generate an estimate of the reference system, a causal stable inversion to estimate the bounded state reference and feedforward term, and a local state‐trajectory tracker to achieve simultaneously asymptotic output tracking and internal dynamics stabilisation. Finally, the solution is applied to the synchronised flight‐path angle and velocity tracking problem of a network of F‐16 aircraft, and further compared with the classic proportional–integral–derivative control‐based approach used in many real‐life applications. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, as well as the performance advantages owing to a systematic consideration of the NMP property.