Nonlinear stability and control of gliding vehicles

In this thesis we use nonlinear systems analysis to study dynamics and design control solutions for vehicles subject to hydrodynamic or aerodynamic forcing. Application of energy-based methods for such vehicles is challenging due to the presence of energy-conserving lift and side forces. We study how the lift force determines the geometric structure of vehicle dynamics. A Hamiltonian formulation of the integrable phugoid-mode equations provides a Lyapunov function candidate, which is used throughout the thesis for deriving equilibrium stability results and designing stabilizing control laws.; A strong motivation for our work is the emergence of underwater gliders as an important observation platform for oceanography. Underwater gliders rely on buoyancy regulation and internal mass redistribution for motion control. These vehicles are attractive because they are designed to operate autonomously and continuously for several weeks. The results presented in this thesis contribute toward the development of systematic control design procedures for extending the range of provably stable maneuvers of the underwater glider.; As the first major contribution we derive conditions for nonlinear stability of longitudinal steady gliding motions using singular perturbation theory. Stability is proved using a composite Lyapunov function, composed of individual Lyapunov functions that prove stability of rotational and translational subsystem equilibria. We use the composite Lyapunov function to design control laws for stabilizing desired relative equilibria in different actuation configurations for the underwater glider.; We propose an approximate trajectory tracking method for an aircraft model. Our method uses exponential stability results of controllable steady gliding motions, derived by interpreting the aircraft dynamics as an interconnected system of rotational and translational subsystems. We prove bounded position error for tracking prescribed, straight-line trajectories, and demonstrate good performance in tracking unsteady trajectories in the longitudinal plane.; We present all possible relative equilibrium motions for a rigid body moving in a fluid. Motion along a circular helix is a practical relative equilibrium for an underwater glider. We present a study of how internal mass distribution and buoyancy of the underwater glider influence the size of the steady circular helix, and the effect of a vehicle bottom-heaviness parameter on its stability.