Multibody Dynamic Modeling and Control of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle under Non-Holonomic Constraints

This paper presents the application of the Boltzmann-Hamel equations to the modeling of a multibody lighter-than-air vehicle. The vehicle is composed of a lifting gas envelope and movable gondola for performing rapid descent maneuvers. The vehicle pitch is primarily controlled by the position of the gondola on the keel of the envelope. The pitch control law was treated as a non-holonomic constraint applied to the system dynamics. The derivation of the equations of motion are presented for a simplified case, and the effectiveness and performance are demonstrated through numerical simulations using theoretical and experimental aerodynamic model parameters.