Fixed-Time Actuator Fault Accommodation Applied to Hypersonic Gliding Vehicles

This article presents a fixed-time accommodation strategy of actuator faults for hypersonic gliding vehicles (HGVs). The approach against actuator faults is incorporated by sliding mode control (SMC), bilimit homogeneity, and adaptive techniques, with consideration of practical constraints and model uncertainties. The resulting fault-tolerant attitude control law allows the fault compensation to be completed in a fixed time, in view of the limited time available for recovery of a faulty HGV. The effectiveness of the presented scheme is validated by comparing it to the finite-time fault accommodation scheme. Note to Practitioners - Hypersonic vehicles have drawn significant interests due to the features of super-fast and flexible maneuverability. The use of advanced fault-tolerant control (FTC) techniques is expected to guarantee safety during hypersonic vehicle operation. A challenging problem is how to counteract actuator faults promptly and effectively in the presence of practical constraints and model uncertainties. This article presents a fixed-time FTC algorithm for a hypersonic gliding vehicle.