Improved artificial potential field based lateral entry guidance for waypoints passage and no-fly zones avoidance

Abstract In this paper, a novel improved artificial potential field based lateral guidance algorithm for waypoints passage and no-fly zones avoidance is proposed. By introducing the improved attractive potential field and the improved repulsive potential field, the proposed algorithm converts the waypoints passage problem and the no-fly zones avoidance problem into the reference heading angle determination problem. Based on the heading error threshold and heading angle constraints, the reference heading corridor can be obtained in real time, which is adaptively updated during the entry flight according to the waypoint and no-fly zone constraints. Then the bank reversal logic is employed to regulate the sign of the bank angle, control the lateral motion of the vehicle, and steer the vehicle successfully to the desired terminal zone without any collision of the waypoint and no-fly zone constraints. The simulation results for verification and comparison cases show that the proposed algorithm has better adaptability, applicability and robustness than the alternative methods, and it can be successfully applied in lateral entry guidance of hypersonic glide vehicles with waypoint and no-fly zone constraints.