Robust dynamic allocation for aircraft roll-out phase directional control

This paper addresses the robust allocation problem for the directional control of on-ground aircraft. Motivations rely on the need of extending automatic control capabilities across the entire roll-out phase, allocating accordingly to diverse constraints. The objective is to design an original control architecture, able to inherently compensate for changes in the plant's state and control matrices, while guaranteeing robustness towards disturbances and performances demanded by civil aviation regulation. Main contributions consist of synthesizing an H∞ optimized guidance control loop based on differential braking force, together with implementing an original modification of an available control allocation methodology to properly include rudder and nose wheel steering actions. Control design techniques are detailed and simulation results illustrate the validity and efficacy of the proposed control architecture.