Trajectory Optimization of Morphing Aerial Vehicles Based on Mid-Fidelity Aeroservoelastic Models

Abstract

Morphing aerial vehicles offer enhanced maneuverability and fuel efficiency compared to fixed-wing configurations. However, the trade-off between performance gains and control cost in dynamic, unsteady maneuvers remains under-explored. This paper addresses this by integrating a trajectory optimization framework with a mid-fidelity aeroservoelastic model, coupling nonlinear multi-body structural dynamics with an unsteady vortex lattice method. A physics-based control cost model captures the energy required to overcome instantaneous aerodynamic hinge moments. Applied to an aircraft with flexible, high-aspect-ratio wings and morphing winglets, the framework evaluates trim, maneuver performance, and lateral obstacle avoidance. Results show morphing wings significantly expand the flight envelope by decoupling lift and pitch requirements. In dynamic maneuvers, morphing yields distinct trade-offs: a pull-up maneuver increased altitude gain by 28.95% at a higher control cost, while a banked turn improved lateral displacement by 8.62% while reducing control cost by 13.40%. Notably, in obstacle avoidance, morphing reduced total control cost by 65.65%. This efficiency stems from exploiting aero-mechanical coupling via trajectory optimization to identify coordinated control strategies that offload aerodynamic loads. These findings underscore wing morphing's potential for achieving extreme maneuvers with superior energy efficiency.