Adaptive backstepping controller design for hypersonic vehicle

Considering an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle model including uncertain interferences, a feedback linearization velocity controller and an adaptive backstepping flight path controller are proposed respectively to achieve the stable tracking of velocity and flight path angle reference signals. A command filter is employed to obtain the actual tracking commands of pitch angle and their first and second derivative signals, then the control law of elevator can be designed directly, which avoids the “explosion of complexity” of virtual control command derivatives and reduces the steps of inference calculation simultaneously. This method improves the dynamic performance of the control system and optimizes the structure of the controller. The system stability is guaranteed by the adaptive control laws designed using LaSalle's invariant principle as well as Lyapunov theory. Simulation results show that the reference signals' tracking performance can be achieved in the presence of uncertain interferences.