New insights into autonomous soaring
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Authors
Walton, Claire
Kaminer, Isaac
Dobrokhodov, Vladimir
Jones, Kevin D.
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2017
Date
2017
Publisher
IEEE
Language
Abstract
This paper applies computational optimal control to the task of planning optimal trajectories for maximizing altitude gain from thermal updraft columns (‘thermaling’). The Legendre pseudospectral method is applied to a simulated glider over a range of thermal sizes and intensities. Numerical solutions for maximizing altitude gain are compared in performance to standard centered circular orbiting and alternate thermaling strategies suggested by the optimal control results: off-centered circular orbiting, and “figure eights.” Results suggest benefits to utilizing alternatives to centered circular orbiting when encountering small-diameter thermal updrafts.
Type
Conference Paper
Description
2017 IEEE 56th Annual Conference on Decision and Control (CDC) December 12-15, 2017, Melbourne, Australia
Series/Report No
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
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Format
6 p.
Citation
Walton, Claire, et al. "New insights into autonomous soaring." 2017 IEEE 56th Annual Conference on Decision and Control (CDC). IEEE, 2017.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.