LAUSR

Abstract Mode transition control is a critical issue of a Turbine-Based-Combined Cycle (TBCC) engine when the main thrust provider changes from a gas turbine engine to a scramjet engine. Compared with a scramjet-powered integrated aircraft, a TBCC-powered aircraft involves more aerodynamic/propulsive couplings during the TBCC mode transition because of additional surfaces, such as the inlet splitter and the nozzle splitter, and the complexity of the combined engine. Those additional couplings which do not exist in a scramjet-powered vehicle would make it harder to decouple the integrated system and then to design control systems separately. This paper focuses on those additional couplings and analyzes the effects of those couplings on the control law design to realize a TBCC mode transition under a required flight condition by solving the corresponding output-tracking problem. Feedback linearization is adopted to design the control law based on the control-oriented model, which is proved to be still effective for the curve-fitted model. Simulation results demonstrate that the control strategy can meet the tracking requirements, under which the integrated aircraft is capable of maintaining a steady flight during the TBCC mode transition. The effects of the three additional couplings mentioned above on the control laws are simulated and analyzed.