A multivariable MRAC design for aircraft systems under failure and damage conditions

This paper studies the multivariable model reference adaptive control (MRAC) design for aircraft systems under simultaneous actuator failures and airframe damage. A modeling study of the aircraft under failure and damage conditions is conducted, which captures the key characteristics of the aircraft dynamics under such hazardous conditions. The key design conditions for the multivariable MRAC design are studied for nominal and post-hazard aircraft systems, and the invariance of these essential conditions is concluded under realistic failure and damage conditions. A multivariable MRAC scheme is developed to ensure stability and asymptotic output tracking for the aircraft in the presence of uncertain actuator failures and airframe damage. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed adaptive control scheme to the NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM).