Wind Tunnel Verification of Velocity Control in Wing Coordinate System Using Acceleration-Based Disturbance Observer for Tilt-Wing eVTOL

Abstract

Recently, the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) has attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in various scenarios of human society, such as advanced transportation, surveillance, and inspections in hazardous environments. Among various eVTOL designs, the tilt-wing configuration stands out for its advantages, including reduced wing drag during ascent and effective utilization of propeller slipstream during transition phases. In this study, we propose a novel velocity control system designed in the wing coordinate system, employing an acceleration-based disturbance observer for tilt-wing eVTOLs. This method achieves enhanced disturbance rejection and decoupled control. The proposed approach was validated through computer simulations and hardware-in-the-loop simulations conducted in a wind tunnel.