LQR Controller for Longitudinal Control Augmentation System of
Aircraft Based on Hybrid Genetic Algorithm
Zheng Yuxing, Xia Jie, Chen Zhikuo
Abstract—It is necessary to manually design different
controller at different trim points during the process of
designing the longitudinal control augmentation system of
aircraft. Therefore, the process of designing whole system is
labor-intensive and time-consuming. To solve this problem, this
paper proposes a method for designing LQR controller based on
hybrid genetic algorithm. This method can automatically design
LQR controller that is suitable for the current flight
environment at different trim points. In this way, the method
can replace human to design longitudinal control augmentation
system. The simulation result indicates that the performance of
LQR controller designed by this method is better than manually
designed controller. Therefore, it can be consider that this
hybrid genetic algorithm can take over the work of designing
longitudinal control augmentation system without aid of human.
I. INTRODUCTION
Aircraft always need to fly at different altitudes and
different speeds during its mission. Therefore, flight control
system must ensure that the specified flight quality
requirements are met throughout the flight envelope. However,
the longitudinal control augmentation system which designed
by using optimal quadratic method can achieve the desired
control effect only near the trim point. One way to solve this
problem is to design multiple sets of LQR controller
parameters at multiple trim points[1][1] . And during actual
flight, flight control system adjusts the parameters of the LQR
controller in control augmentation system according to the
measured dynamic pressure in order to control the aircraft
within the full flight envelope. The larger the flight envelope,
the more LQR controller parameters need to be designed. This
makes designing longitudinal control augmentation system
time-consuming and labor-intensive. In order to solve this
problem, artificial intelligence can be used to design controller,
so that computer can automatically design appropriate LQR
controller at each trim points.
The most important step of designing LQR controller is
setting the weight matrix Q. The quality of the weight matrix
directly affects the control effect of LQR controller.
Essentially, designing LQR controller by using artificial
intelligence is using AI to set the weight matrix Q. At present,
there are various algorithms that propose strategies for how to
set the weight matrix. One of the most active research
Zheng Yuxing. Author is with the Science and Technology on Aircraft
Control Laboratory, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083 China (phone:
86-188-1070-3317; e-mail: zyxandcbh@buaa.edu.cn).
Xia Jie, Jr., Author is with Science and Technology on Aircraft Control
Laboratory, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083 China. (xiaj@buaa.edu.cn)
Chen Zhikuo. Author is with Science and Technology on Aircraft Control
Laboratory, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083 China. (e-mail:
chen_zhikuo@buaa.edu.cn ).
directions is to use genetic algorithms to search the
appropriate weight matrix.[2]
Genetic algorithm is a variant of random beam search.[5]
This method is a kind of probabilistic optimization methods
with good global optimization performance. But, genetic
algorithm sometimes has slow convergence.[6] In this paper, a
hybrid genetic algorithm which combines genetic algorithm
and sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is used to search
appropriate weight matrix Q. First of all, this method uses
genetic algorithm to generate solution that are close enough to
the global optimal solution. Then, using the result of genetic
algorithm to initialize SQP algorithm and using SQP find the
appropriate solution. In this way, this method improves search
efficiency of genetic algorithm while preventing SQP from
falling into the local optimum.
II. LINEAR MODEL OF AIRCRAFT
Here, LQR controller is required to control a non-linear
6-DOF aircraft model. However, it is impossible to design
LQR controller for a non-linear model directly. So, it is
necessary to linearized nonlinear model in order to design
LQR controller.
A. Linearization of Aircraft Nonlinear Model
Linearization method based on small-perturbation theory
is used to linearize this non-linear aircraft model at trim points.
The nonlinear model of aircraft can be expressed as:
f ( x , x , u ) = 0 (1)
In Equation (1), x is the state of aircraft model, including
the angular velocity component on the aircraft-body
coordinate frame axis, three attitude angles, flight speed, angle
of attack, sideslip angle and the position of aircraft in
Earth-surface inertial reference frame. And u is the four inputs
of aircraft, including throttle, aileron, rudder and elevator.
According to small-perturbation theory, Taylor series
expansion is performed on the above-mentioned nonlinear
equations at the trim point ሺ࢞௘ ǡ ࢛௘ ሻ and only first-order term is
retained. The following linear equations are obtained:
E Δx = AΔx + BΔu (2)
In Equation (2), E, A and B are Jacobian matrix which is
obtained by calculating the partial derivative of f for ࢞ሶ , x and u.
LQR controller is only used to control the longitudinal
short-period motion of aircraft. Therefore, it is need to
separate longitudinal motion from lateral motion. And the
amount of change in the long-period motion state can be
considered to be approximately zero in a short time. By this
means, the following short-cycle equation of motion can be
obtained:
 ªV − Zα 0 º ª Δα º ª Zα V + Z q º ª Δα º ª Zδ e º ª (V + Zq ) Mα Zα M α Zδ e M α º
=« +« » Δδ (3) «M q + Mα + M δe + 0 »
« −M 1 »¼ «¬ Δq »¼ ¬ M α M q »¼ «¬ Δq »¼ ¬« M δe ¼» e
0 0 0
« V − Zα V − Zα V − Zα »
¬ α « »
« V + Zq Zα Zδ e
0 0 0 0 » (8)
Convert it to the form of a standard state equation: « V − Zα V − Zα V − Zα »
« »
« 0 0 -20.2 0 0 0 0 »
AL = « −5Zα V0 »
−1 « 0 0 -5 0 0 0 »
ªΔα º ªV − Zα 0º § ª Zα V + Zq º ª Δα º ª Zδe º · « g »
« Δq » == « −M ¨« » +« » Δδ e ¸ (4) « »
1»¼ ¨ ¬ Mα « » −Vco
¬ ¼ ¬ M q ¼ ¬ Δq ¼ ¬« Mδe ¼» ¸ « 0 0 -1 0 1 0 »
α © ¹ « g »
« »
« 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 »
B. System Controllability Analysis
¬« 0 0 0 0 0 -90 -16»¼
To design LQR controller, an important prerequisite is that
bL = [ 0 0 20.2 0 0 0 0 ]
T
this approximate linearized system must be controllable. (9)
Therefore, the first thing to do before designing LQR
controller is to check controllability of this system. According The performance index function that needs to be optimized
to modern control theory, whether system is controllable can during designing LQR controller is:
be determined by checking the rank of controllability matrix: +∞
J = ³0 r T Qr dt (10)
rank [ b Ab] (5)
In equation (10), r is cost state vector. Its four components
III. LONGITUDINAL CONTROL AUGMENTATION SYSTEM OF are C* command tracking error, integral of C* command
AIRCRAFT tracking error, elevator augmentation, and input of LQR
controller:
A. Open Loop Configuration of System and LQR Controller
In order to design longitudinal control augmentation ª x1 º
system by using optimal quadratic method, it is necessary to « »
ª Vco º x
establish the open loop configuration of longitudinal control ª r1 º « 0 − 0 −1 0 1 0» « 2 » ª0º
«r » « g «x »
augmentation system at first. The open loop configuration of » « 3 » «0»
longitudinal control augmentation system is shown in Figure 1. r= « 2»
= «0 0 0 0 1 0 0 » « x4 » + « » u z (11)
This system generates C* response command by using « r3 » « » «0»
expected C* response model. LQR controller needs to ensure « » « 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 » « x5 » « »
¬ r4 ¼ « 0 « » ¬1 ¼
that the actual C* response accurately tracks this expected C* ¬ 0 0 0 0 0 0 »¼ « x6 »
response command. So that the response of the aircraft’s «x »
longitudinal motion meets the expected requirement. ¬ 7¼
What needs to be done next is setting the weight matrix Q
x7 x1 =Δq
x6 x5 uz x3 =Δδe
in equation (10) and calculating the feedback gain K in LQR
η 20.2
90
s 2 + 16s + 90
× 1
s s + 20.2
controller based on matrix Q. In this paper, a method for
x2 =Δα setting weight matrix by using hybrid genetic algorithm is
x4 Δ nz proposed.
5 -ZαV0
× s +5 g
B. Design of LQR Controller Based on Hybrid Genetic
Algorithm
VCO g
Setting appropriate weight matrix Q is the key to designing
Fig 1 open-loop configuration of longitudinal control LQR controller. Weight matrix Q directly affects the
augmentation system performance of designed LQR controller. LQR controller
Establish state equation of above open-loop configuration: based on hybrid genetic algorithm is designed by using hybrid
genetic algorithm to set its weight matrix.
.
x = A L x + bL u (6) The hybrid genetic algorithm which is used is a kind of
improved genetic algorithm: First of all, this algorithm uses
In this equation genetic algorithm to generate a solution that is close enough to
the global optimal solution. Then, it uses this solution as the
x = [ x1 x7 ]
T
x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 (7) initial value of sequential quadratic programming and run
SQP to obtain the final solution. By doing this, it overcomes
‫ݔ‬ଵ is pitch angle speed augmentation. ‫ݔ‬ଶ is angle of attack
the disadvantage of slow convergence of traditional genetic
augmentation. ‫ݔ‬ଷ is elevator augmentation. ‫ݔ‬ସ is filtered
algorithm while avoiding algorithm falling into a local optimal
normal overload. ‫ݔ‬ହ is the integral of C* command tracking
solution. The efficiency of algorithm is improved.
error. ‫ ଺ݔ‬is C* command generated by expected C* response
model. ‫ ଻ݔ‬is derivative of expected C* response mode output. This hybrid genetic algorithm uses floating-point coding.
It chooses the diagonal elements in weight matrix Q as the
State matrix ࡭௅ and input matrix ࢈௅ is: code of each chromosome, and uses integral of error squared
between expected C* response and actual C* response of
aircraft as the objective function of algorithm:
 T
J = ³0 e 2 dt (12) It can be determined whether hybrid genetic algorithm can
replace human to design LQR controller according to the
result of simulation.
The steps of using hybrid genetic algorithm to obtain the
weight matrix Q are as follows: A. Simulink Simulation
(1) Randomly generate an initial population of 300 This simulation experiment is completed on the simulation
platform which built in MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation
(2) Feedback gain K of LQR controller can be obtained platform is shown in figure 3.
according the corresponding Q matrix of each individual in
the population, and bring K to simulation system to calculate Experiments are implemented in four different flight
fitness function value of every individual. environments. C* response command tracking error is used to
evaluate the control effect of longitudinal control
(3) Choose individuals to inherit to next generation augmentation system of aircraft.
according to their fitness function values
(4) Crossover and mutation operations on next generation
population
(5) Check whether the number of iterations has been
reached. If not, return to step (2), otherwise continue to next
step
(6) Use the result of genetic algorithm as the initial value to
start SQP algorithm.
(7) Output the result of SQP algorithm
Hybrid genetic algorithm flow chart is shown in figure 2: Fig 3 MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform
C* response command tracking error(H=3000m, V=250m/s)
0.04
Manual
0.02 Hybrid GA

0
tracking error

-0.02

-0.04

-0.06

-0.08
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
time(sec)

C* response command tracking error(H=3000m, V=300m/s)

0.02
Manual
Hybrid GA
0
tracking error

-0.02

-0.04

-0.06

-0.08
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
time(sec)

C* response command tracking error(H=3000m, V=250m/s)

0.02
Manual
Hybrid GA
0
tracking error

-0.02

Fig 2 Hybrid genetic algorithm flow chart -0.04

IV. SIMULATION EXPERIMENT AND RESULT ANALYSIS

-0.06
In order to check the effect of this hybrid genetic algorithm, 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
time(sec)
the LQR controller based on hybrid genetic algorithm is
compared to the LQR controller which is designed manually.
 C* response command tracking error(H=3000m, V=300m/s)
0.01
Manual
0 Hybrid GA

-0.01
tracking error

-0.02

-0.03

-0.04

-0.05

-0.06

-0.07
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
time(sec)

Fig 4 The result of simulation experiment

Figure 4 shows the tracking error of LQR controller which
is designed by hybrid GA and human. The difference between
the two controllers can be clearly seen through this figure.
B. Result Analysis
According to the result of simulation, the LQR controller
that is designed by hybrid GA performs better than the LQR
controller that is designed by human. The tracking error of
longitudinal control augmentation based on hybrid genetic
algorithm is smaller and can converge to zero faster. Therefore,
this hybrid genetic algorithm can be considered to be able to
replace human to design longitude control augmentation
system of aircraft. And obviously, the controller can complete
this task better than human.

V. CONCLUSION
Aim at designing LQR controllers for longitudinal control
augmentation system of aircraft, this paper proposes a method
to design LQR controller automatically by using hybrid
genetic algorithm. This hybrid GA replaces human setting the
weight matrix Q in LQR design process and based on the Q
which is set by hybrid GA, a satisfied LQR controller can be
designed. This algorithm combine traditional GA and SQP in
order to improve speed of convergence while avoid falling
into local optimal point. Finally, a simulation experiment is
implemented in order to verify that this algorithm can replace
human to design longitudinal control augmentation system of
aircraft. According to the result of simulation, it is proved that
this hybrid GA can replace human to design LQR controller
completely, and the controller that is designed by hybrid GA is
even better.

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