Gust Load Alleviation Control and Gust Estimation for a High Aspect Ratio Wing Wind Tunnel Model

This paper presents the gust load alleviation (GLA) study of the aspect ratio 13.5 Common
Research Model (CRM) wind-tunnel model. This study details the design of the GLA controller
in preparation for wind-tunnel testing in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at NASA Langley
Research Center. An aeroservolastic (ASE) model was first reduced using a model reduction
method that takes advantage of the sinusoidal steady-state response. Then, the reduced
model was used to design an extended-state Kalman filter which estimates the states and the
sinusoidal gust input. The GLA control was then derived using the optimal control solution to a
multi-objective cost function. The results of the GLA controller indicate a 75.6% reduction
in wing-root strain while maintaining robust stability margins. The final paper will include
performance under sub-optimal conditions, e.g., sensor noise, uncertainty in gust frequency,
etc..