Control strategies for the electromagnetic launcher for UAVs

Electromagnetic launch for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a new trend for launching fixed-wing UAVs in the several hundred kilogram range. Electromagnetic launchers are expected to accelerate the UAV to the take-off speed in a certain distance. This paper points out the key performance requirements of the electromagnetic launcher for UAVs, and proposes two control strategies: constant acceleration strategy and power constraint strategy. Both strategies can satisfy the requirements. Especially, the second control strategy has an advantage of lower peak power, which is convenient for practical applications. A controller for electromagnetic launch is designed according to the control strategies and simulation proves their efficiency.