On the synthesis of sliding mode controller for the autopilot design of free flight system

Today’s rapid growth in air transportation demand leads to the problem of congestion in air traffic routes. In recent years, free flight concept is widely discussed as the solution to this problem. Free flight is a decentralized method of air traffic management, in which each aircraft has the freedom to self optimize its own route. Conflict detection and its subsequent resolution are the major challenges in the realization of this concept. Today’s modern navigation and surveillance equipment can ensure accurate conflict predictions. Once a conflict is detected, it should be avoided through suitable conflict avoidance maneuvers. An autopilot capable of initiating these conflict free maneuvers should be a necessary part of any aircraft in free flight to ensure conflict avoided flight. Controller design based on Sliding Mode Control (SMC) strategy is presented in this paper for the purpose of free flight autopilot implementation. Since SMC has the inherent property of robustness in sliding mode, it can ensure a highly efficient autopilot design. Conventional and reaching law approaches of SMC design are considered here for controller design. Conventional SMC technique usually exhibits an unacceptable phenomenon, viz., chattering. Reaching law approaches for SMC design are being investigated here so as to identify an appropriate strategy that can ensure near chattering free operation. Considering typical free flight conflict avoidance modes of operation, the performance of all the considered SMC strategies are compared through simulation studies. The comparison is based on their ability to reduce chattering and the effectiveness in ensuring quick conflict resolution maneuvers, so that an efficient controller for free flight autopilot system can be recommended.