Active Stability Augmentation Control of eVTOL Vehicle Under Lateral Random Airflow Interference

Urban air mobility vehicles, represented by manned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, are promised to improve urban traffic congestion and recover the time lost by individuals during daily commutes. Nevertheless, the complex building features, confined spaces, often adverse weather conditions and frequent local airflow distortions in urban low-altitude urban environments pose risks to the flight stability and safety of eVTOL vehicles, significantly restricting their applications. This study focuses on the flight module of the electrically-powered intelligent modular flying car "UAM650". Based on this, a flight dynamics model incorporating sudden external airflow disturbances is derived. Additionally, the LEE controller is optimized, and a unified controller capable of both high maneuverability and strong disturbance resistance is proposed. Moreover, comprehensive comparative validations are carried out to showcase the controller’s exceptional performance. When the eVTOL vehicle maintains high maneuverability and encounters random lateral airflow disturbances ranging from 10-14 m/s, the median reduction in trajectory tracking error reaches up to 63%, effectively ensuring the safety and stability of manned urban air mobility vehicles in low-altitude urban environments.