Autonomous Control for Orographic Soaring of Fixed-Wing UAVs

Abstract

Prolonging the endurance of fixed-wing UAVs is crucial for achieving complex missions, yet their limited battery life poses a significant challenge. In response, this research proposes a novel approach to extend the endurance of fixed-wing UAVs by enabling autonomous soaring in an orographic wind field. The goal of our research is to develop a controller that can identify feasible soaring regions and autonomously maintain position control without using any throttle. Soaring flight is desirable as it results in a low energy cost with zero throttle usage. However, without throttle usage, the longitudinal motion of the UAV is an under-actuated system, presenting control challenges. The concept of a target gradient line (TGL) is introduced as part of the control algorithm that addresses these challenges and autonomously finds the equilibrium soaring position where sink rate and updraft are in equilibrium. Experimental tests showed promising results, demonstrating the controller’s effectiveness in maintaining autonomous soaring flight in a non-static wind field. We also demonstrate a single degree of control freedom in the soaring position through manipulation of the TGL.