Ascent control of heavy-lift launch vehicle with guaranteed predefined performance

Abstract In this paper, the problem of ascent attitude tracking control is studied for a heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) with guaranteed predefined performances. Firstly, the attitude tracking error dynamics model is developed by using a second-order reference model which can guarantee the expected overshoot and steady-state error. Subsequently, a novel prescribed performance function (PPF) is proposed with a predefined convergence time, and an error transformation method with tangent function is developed. Moreover, by utilizing this PPF structure, a predefined performance attitude tracking error dynamics model is proposed. Based on the predefined-time stable theory, an adaptive predefined-time sliding mode controller with adaptive gain control law is presented and the convergence time can be defined as a prior control parameter, simultaneously. Stability of the proposed controller and the adaptive gain control law are proved by the Lyapunov method. Finally, abundant simulation results verify the predefined performance of the proposed control method.