Enhancing The Precision of Artillery Rockets Using Pulsejet Control Systems With Active Damping
Enhancing The Precision of Artillery Rockets Using Pulsejet Control Systems With Active Damping
Enhancing The Precision of Artillery Rockets Using Pulsejet Control Systems With Active Damping
10-19
UDK: 621.453/457.001.57:519.637
COSATI: 19-07, 16-04, 16-02
Bojan Pavković1)
Miloš Pavić1)
Danilo Ćuk2)
Long- and medium-range artillery rockets are used for indirect fire on distant targets. As they have large impact point
dispersion, they are considered to be area weapons and are fired from multi tube launchers. Achieving high hit
probability requires spending a vast number of rockets. A control system application enables the reduction of their
impact point dispersion and the increase of hit probability. Pulsejet control systems are simple, inexpensive and efficient
enough to achieve the dispersion reduction which justifies their application. This paper presents a simplified control
scheme for artillery rockets named the active damping method which performs a correction of disturbances immediately
after a rocket exits a launcher tube. It is shown that the application of such a control system achieves a significant
dispersion reduction, and that it stands as an efficient method for the reduction of the effect of all disturbances except the
deviation of the rocket motor total impulse.
Key words: rocket artillery, multi tube rocket launcher, rocket projectile, rocket control, rocket guidance, control system,
pulse jet control, precision, error correction, impact point dispersion, effect on the target, Monte Carlo method.
influence of disturbances on their hit precision. Increasing high elevations, artillery rockets have a highly curved and
the range reduces the precision of artillery rocket systems. long trajectory and fly through different atmospheric
Therefore, they are commonly used as area weapons rather conditions, which makes the use of previously described
than precision ones. The efficient covering of a targeted control laws inefficient. Pavković, Ćuk and Pavić [5] have
area requires a large number of rockets launched from suggested a guidance law named the trajectory tracking
multi-tube launchers. This scenario for artillery rockets with pulse frequency modulation (TT with PFM) which
finds its place in modern warfare due to many advantages forms a control signal based on rocket deviation from the
over the classic artillery, which are: longer range, high fire reference trajectory and transforms it into an array of pulses
power concentration in a short period of time, low launcher using pulse frequency modulation. Such a control system is
price and its high mobility. On the other hand, rockets have applicable on artillery rockets fired at high elevations. Ćuk,
a higher price than classic artillery shells, and their Pavić and Pavković [6] have given a comparison of
precision is lower. different guidance laws for mortar shells with pulsejet
Modern warfare, however, demands higher precision in control mechanisms. Mandić [18] has given an algorithm
order to avoid or reduce the collateral damage as much as with the flight path angle control, regardless of the used
possible. In addition, there is a requirement for an increased control system. The subject of this paper is the application
maximum range in order to gain the tactical advantage. of the active damping method for the precision enhancing
These two demands are contradictory, as the increase of the of artillery rockets.
range deteriorates the precision. On the other hand, a
reduction of weapons cost is required. In the case of
artillery rockets, these demands could be met by an increase The Active Damping Method
of their precision and a reduction of the number of rockets The basis for this correction method was given by
needed for target destruction. All these demands can be Harkins and Brown [1], who have considered 2.75 in direct
achieved using guided artillery rockets, or rockets with fire air to surface rockets, fired from multi tube launchers.
enhanced precision. The applied control systems, in these They have suggested a simplified control system, based on
cases, are required to achieve a dispersion reduction which pulsejets and rate gyroscopes as feedback sensors. By the
economically justifies their application. application of such a control system, they have managed to
Applying control systems on artillery rockets launched reduce the impact point dispersion by the factor of 4. In that
from multi-tube launchers demands the optimization of case, the deviations of the pitch and yaw rates at the
their cost, which should correspond to the reduction of the launcher exit had a much more dominant influence on the
number of rockets needed for target destruction. Low cost impact point dispersion than the deviation of the rocket
control systems can be achieved using pulsejets. Such motor total impulse.
executive organs consist of a certain number of small rocket In the case of artillery rockets, the situation is
motors, placed on a control ring in the front section of the significantly different. The total impulse deviation is by far
rocket. Besides having no moving parts, pulsejet control the most important factor for the impact point dispersion.
systems have very low energy consumption and use very However, a situation could be different again. The total
simple electronics for the activation of control jets. Their impulse of the main rocket motor is the parameter
reliability and cost are very advantageous. controlled through the production process as the amount of
Simplified control systems have been considered rocket propellants. Various methods, such as the production
recently in a number of scientific papers for the application of the charge in segments and their pairing as well as the
on rockets as well as for other types of smart ammunition. division of the produced rockets in different weight classes
Continuous research and development of micro-electro- could produce a significant reduction in total impulse
mechanical sensors (MEMS) allows the implementation of deviation within a single production batch. The uniformity
complete sensor systems on low and medium caliber of the propellant chemical composition could also be
projectiles. Significant efforts in the field of control improved by using advanced production control methods as
mechanisms have brought new and innovative solutions. well as by using large mixers for the production of
The considered concepts are pulsejets [1-6], synthetic jets propellant for a large number of rockets. Further
[7], drag brakes [8,9], deployable pins [10,11], moveable improvement in the propellant uniformity can be achieved
nose [12], moveable canards [13], dual-spin projectiles by control of the produced propellant’s characteristics for
[14,15], ram air deflection [16], and internal translating each batch. On the other hand, thrust optimization for range
mass [17]. maximization could result in the burn phase prolongation
The pulsejet application on rockets has been originally and the reduction of launcher exit velocity, thus increasing
considered by Harkins and Brown [1]. They have proposed the pitch rate and its deviation. Therefore, in the case of a
active damping as a dispersion reduction method for 2.75 in high quality production and thrust optimization with respect
direct fire air to surface rockets, fired from multi tube to the range increase, it is possible for the total impulse
launchers. Jitpraphai and Costello [2] have proposed (also deviation to lose its domination in the impact point
for direct fire rockets) a simplified control system with dispersion, and for the active damping method to find its
pulsejets and the window-based trajectory tracking control use in artillery rockets.
law. Jitpraphai, Burchett and Costello [3] have given a Gantmakher and Levin [19] have given a detailed
comparison of different guidance laws in the case of direct analysis of the impact point dispersion of artillery rockets,
fire rockets and pulsejet control mechanisms. They have showing that that the disturbances occurring immediately
compared window-based trajectory tracking (TT), parabolic after the launcher exit have the greatest effect. The angle of
and proportional navigation (PAPNG) and classic attack appearing in that period is the effect of the initial
proportional navigation (PN). Gupta, Saxena, Singhal and oscillations of pitch and yaw rates, wind and thrust
Ghosh [4] have extended the study [2] to artillery rockets misalignment. The task of the active damping control
fired at low elevations, in which case there is no significant system is to bring the pitch and yaw rates in the period
difference between artillery and direct fire rockets. Fired at immediately after launch to some specified values and to
12 PAVKOVIĆ,B. etc: ENHANCING THE PRECISION OF ARTILLERY ROCKETS USING PULSEJET CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH ACTIVE DAMPING
suppress their oscillations. Since this task does not require reference trajectory and the corresponding aerodynamic
much energy and since the control process is performed parameters values, in a moment in the time τ , we have:
immediately after launch when the rocket velocity is low, it
is logical to use a pulsejet control system. Such control Δ q + 2ζ n (τ ) ωn (τ ) Δ q + ωn2 (τ ) Δ q = mw (τ ) g cos Θ (τ ) (2)
systems are characterized by a low price and complexity,
absence of moving parts, high reliability and efficiency Neglecting the oscillatory transient process, the steady
even in the case of low rocket velocities. These facts make state value of the pitch rate is:
them acceptable for implementation even on artillery mw
rockets with smaller caliber and range. q R = g cos Θ (3)
The main tool for the following analysis is a simulation ωn2
of the mathematical model of rocket flight with 6 degrees
Fig.1 shows the comparison of the pitch rate steady state
of freedom (6-DOF), given in [20]. The rocket
values obtained by equation (3) and the pitch rate values
configuration used in the simulation study is a
obtained by the simulation of the 6-DOF model. After the
representative long-range 262 mm artillery rocket, 4.7 m
launcher tube exit, the rocket pitch rate is significantly
long, fin-stabilized, with four pop-out fins on its rear part.
higher than its steady state (reference) value, which
The lateral pulsejet ring is located at 0.4 m from the nose
produces the oscillatory transient process. After the
tip of the rocket. The main rocket motor burns for 20 s and
transient process is over, the pitch rate settles at its steady
imparts an impulse to the rocket of Itot = 33.4 kN-s. The
state value.
thrust is divided into two phases: 6000 daN for the first
0.76 s and 1500 daN for the rest of the burn phase. The
rocket weight, the mass center location from the nose tip, 0.00
the axial and transversal moments of inertia before and after
burn are 390/225 kg, 2.65/2.47 m, 3.45/2.15 kg-m2, and -0.02
563/447 kg-m2, respectively. Nominally, the rocket exits
the launcher at V0 = 41.7 m/s and p0 = 33 rad/s. The exit roll -0.04
from the 6 DOF model
q [rad/s]
rate is achieved by the rifled launching tube. A case with steady-state value
-0.06
the range of x f = 49900 m , which is less that the maximum
one, is analyzed. The initial values of the system states and -0.08
their statistics are given in Table 1. It is assumed that all
random values are Gaussian. -0.10
In the considered study case, the design of the rocket and implicates that the transversal motion of the rocket is very
the launcher tube allows that the roll rate is significantly (3- oscillatory, with a very low damping ratio. The task of the
5 times) higher than the pitch rate natural frequency. Thus, active damping control system is to increase the damping
the body fixed rate gyros readings are oscillatory with the ratio and to suppress the oscillations. If the control angular
roll rate frequency. If the angular rate vector acceleration in the body reference frame is denoted with
ω = [ p q r]
T
is considered, then its projection to the c , the active damping control law is:
ω
0.00 the value of which is very close to the steady state value in
-0.04 the case without the active damping, given by equation (3).
-0.08
Introducing mq AD = mq − Kω , the natural frequency and the
-0.12 damping ratio become:
0.12 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0.08
r [rad/s] wn2AD = mq AD z w − mwV (13)
r [rad/s]
0.04
− z w − mq AD
0.00
ζ n AD = (14)
-0.04
2ωn
-0.08 From the previous equations, we obtain:
-0.12
0.12 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 mq AD = ( 2ζ n AD − 1) zw −
(15)
0.08 ωyz [rad/s] −2 ζ n AD (ζ n AD − 1) z w2 − ζ n AD mwV
0.04
0.00
which, for the assumed value of ζ nAD = 1 comes to
-0.04 mq AD = zw − 2 − mwV . Fig.3 shows the values of mq AD
-0.08 obtained for ζ n = 1 , during the first 10 seconds of flight
-0.12
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
after the launch.
t [s] From Fig.3, assuming that ζ nAD = 1 , we have
Kω ≈ −mq AD ≈ 18s −1 . The comparison of the natural
Figure 2. Pitch and yaw rates.
frequencies and the damping ratios in the cases without
As seen in Fig.1, after the launcher exit, the rocket
angular rates oscillate provoking the oscillations of the control and with active damping with Kω = 18s −1 for the
pitch and yaw angle as well as the angle of attack and first 10 s after launch is shown in Fig.4.
sideslip. The character of the transient process (Fig.1)
14 PAVKOVIĆ,B. etc: ENHANCING THE PRECISION OF ARTILLERY ROCKETS USING PULSEJET CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH ACTIVE DAMPING
ωˆ c
-10 K= (17)
ωˆ c,max
-15
For ωˆ c defined by equation (7), and ωˆ c ,max defined by
-20 (16) with τ = tmin , we have:
-25 tmin J y Kω
K= ω yz = K Pω yz (18)
I c lI
-30
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 tmin J y Kω
t [s] KP =
I c lI
[s ] (19)
Figure 3. Values of mq AD for ζ n = 1 . The gain K P depends on the angular rate feedback gain
Kω and the parameters of the pulse frequency modulation.
14 For a specified magnitude of control pulses, their distance
12 from the c.g. of the rocket and its inertial characteristics, the
10 value of the gain K P is defined by tmin and Kω .
ωn [rad/s]
⎩ 0
1
0 The command coefficient values, representing the ratio
-1 between the desired and the maximum possible angular
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
t [s] acceleration are limited to K ≤ 1 . The time to the next pulse
is defined as:
Figure 4. Influence of active damping on the values of ζ n and ω n . tmin
τ= , (21)
K
Fig.4 shows that active damping slightly lowers the
system dynamics and increases the damping ratio from the A block diagram of the active damping control system is
near-zero value to the desired ζ n = 1 . shown in Fig.5.
ωdem
Pulse Frequency Modulation of the Command Signal ωyz
q KP K (⋅)
−1
tmin τ
Equations (5 - 7) describe the active damping control
law. Continuous control command (7) must be transformed r Φω
into an array of pulses, using pulse frequency modulation,
as described in [5]. The action of a control impulse with
magnitude I c [ N-s ] at a distance lI [ m ] from the center of Figure 5. Block diagram of the active damping control system.
gravity of the rocket with the pitch inertia J y ⎡⎣ kg-m 2 ⎤⎦ , The conditions for firing the n -th pulsejet are:
- Time elapsed from the previous pulse is longer than τ :
produces an angular acceleration, whose mean value ωˆ c t > tprev + τ .
over the preceding period τ [s ] is: - Considered n -th pulsejet is not already fired.
- Difference between its roll angle and the desired one, tak-
I c lI ing into account the equivalent delay angle Φ d , is lower
ωˆ c = (16)
τ Jy than the desired activation threshold ε Φ :
The mean value of the angular acceleration depends on ΔΦ n + Φ d − Φω < ε Φ (22)
the only variable member of equation (16) – the time period
τ . The maximum value of the angular acceleration, ωˆ c ,max The angular condition, given by equation (22) is shown
corresponds to the minimum time between two consecutive in Fig.6. The term ΔΦ n = 2π ( n − 1) N I presents the roll
PAVKOVIĆ,B. etc: ENHANCING THE PRECISION OF ARTILLERY ROCKETS USING PULSEJET CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH ACTIVE DAMPING 15
angle of the n -th pulsejet measured from the negative part 0.08
of the z axis in the body reference frame. The roll angle 0.06
Φω of the angular velocity vector projection ω yz onto the
0.04
plane Cyz of the body reference frame is defined by
equation (6) in respect to the y axis. The control angular 0.02
r [rad/s]
acceleration vector ω c , is, according to equation (7), 0.00
opposite to ω yz . The control impulse vector I c is in a -0.02
~
plane normal to the vector ω c . All these vectors lie in, or -0.04
are parallel to, the plane Cyz . Fig.6 shows that the angle
-0.06 Uncontrolled
between the y axis and the vector ω yz , and the angle Active damping
-0.08
between the negative part of the z axis and the projection 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
of the vector I c are equal (to Φω ), being the angles with t [s]
normal arms. This proves (22).
Figure 7. Yaw rates with and without the control system.
-0.04
Without the roll rate sensor, the value of p is assumed as a -0.06
-0.08
known function of the time of flight.
-0.10
-0.12
Uncontrolled
Simulation results -0.14
Active damping
The active damping system action is shown for a -0.16
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
combination of disturbances given in Table 2. It is assumed
that the control system consists of N I = 32 pulsejets with a t [s]
magnitude of I c = 15 N-s , as well as that the control law Figure 8. Pitch rates with and without the control system.
parameters are: K P = 20s , ωdem = 0.01rad/s and
4
tmin = 0.1s . Uncontrolled
3 Active damping
Table 2.
2
Quantity Unit Nominal value Disturbed value
q0 rad/s -0.099 -0.14 1
α [deg]
VW m/s 0 2
ε mrad 0 1.5 -1
Θ [deg]
vertical plane is similar to the amplitude of the uncontrolled 46
rocket, due to the difference between the actual and steady- 44
state value of the pitch rate q . The oscillations in the 42
40 No Correction, No Disturbances
horizontal plane remain suppressed even after the control No Correction, With Disturbances
stops, with only low-amplitude roll rate frequency 38
Active damping, No Disturbances
oscillations remaining due to the rocket motor thrust 36
Active damping, With Disturbances
misalignment. 34
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Figs. 11 and 12 show the comparison of the yaw and t [s]
pitch angles during the transient process after the launcher
exit. The cases with and without disturbances given in
Figure 12. Pitch angles comparison.
Table 2, and the cases with and without the control are
shown in order to present the effect of the control system.
Although the active damping control system was not able to
compensate the effect of the disturbances completely, it Parametric and Performance Analysis
manages to lower significantly the difference between the The goal of the parametric analysis is to determine the
pitch and yaw angles in the case with and without optimal control system parameter values corresponding to
disturbances. From the yaw angle diagram, one can note its hit point deviation. The analysis is performed using the
that the difference is lowered from 2.6° to 1.2°. In the pitch Monte Carlo method, described in [21], with 200
angle case, the difference reduction due to the active simulations of the 6-DOF model. The mean values and the
damping control system action is somewhat lower, from standard deviations of the stochastic parameters are given
1.9° to 1.2°. in Table 1.
0.16
ωdem Hit Points Distribution
0.14 Fig.13 shows the hit point distribution using the Monte
ωyz
Carlo method. The cases of the uncontrolled rockets as well
0.12
as of the rockets with the active damping control system,
0.10 with the parameters I c = 15 N-s , N I = 32 , tmin = 0.1s ,
0.08
ωdem = 0.01rad/s and K P = 20s , are shown. It was
assumed that all control pulses lasted for τ I = 0.005s . The
0.06
analysis was performed for a statistical sample of 200
0.04 simulations.
4000 4000
0.02 Active damping CEP = 694 m Uncontrolled CEP = 1636 m
3000 3000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Range miss [m]
1000 1000
t [s] 0 0
-1000 -1000
Figure 10. The demanded and the achieved angular rates. -2000 -2000
-3000 -3000
1
-4000 -4000
-4000 -3000 -2000 -1000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 -4000 -3000 -2000 -1000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000
0 Cross-range miss [m]
Table 3.
-3
Table 3.
-4 Active Reduction
No Correction, No Disturbances Statistics Uncontrolled
damping ratio
No Correction, With Disturbances
-5 Circular error probable CEP [m] 1636 694 2.36
Active damping, No Disturbances
Active damping, With Disturbances Range error probable VD [m] 741 466 1.59
-6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1094 321 3.41
Lateral error probable VP [m]
t [s]
Using the active damping control system, dispersion is
Figure 11. Yaw angles comparison. lowered by a factor of 3.4 in the cross-range, and by a
PAVKOVIĆ,B. etc: ENHANCING THE PRECISION OF ARTILLERY ROCKETS USING PULSEJET CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH ACTIVE DAMPING 17
factor of 1.5 in the range. The inability of such a control the dispersion is only slightly dependent on ωdem . In the
system to compensate for the total impulse deviation case of an extremely low number of control pulses, better
changes the character of the hit point distribution, and the results are obtained for higher values of ωdem , while, with
dispersion in the range becomes greater than that in the
the increase of the pulsejets number, the value that yields
cross-range.
the least impact point dispersion becomes
ωdem = 0.01rad/s .
Active guidance control system parametric analysis
The performances of the precision enhancement system 1200
8 pulses
depend on its parameters, which are: the number N I and Ic = 15 N-s
16 pulses
1100
the magnitude I c of the pulse jets, the minimum time 24 pulses
32 pulses
between two consecutive pulses tmin , the gain factor K P , 1000 40 pulses
the demanded angular rate ωdem and the average duration
CEP [m]
of control pulses τ I . The parameter tuning method is used 900
for their optimal combination, which yields the least impact
point dispersion. 800
Fig.14 shows the dependence of the impact point
dispersion on the combination of the gain factor K P and 700
tmin . In the considered case, the other parameters were:
600
N I = 32 , I c = 15 N-s , ωdem = 0.01rad/s and τ I = 0.005s . 0.005 0.010 0.015 0.020 0.025 0.030
The parameters K P and tmin are linked in equation (19). ωdem [rad/s]
For the assumed damping ratio ζ n = 1 , which, according to
equation (15) yields Kω ≈ −mqAD ≈ 19s −1 , and for the Figure 15. CEP depending on ωdem .
parameters J y = 562 kg-m 2 and lI = 2.44 m , from Fig.16 shows the dependence of the impact point
equation (19), we have K P = 276 ⋅ tmin . dispersion on the pulse duration τ I , for the case of 32
pulsejets with a magnitude of I c = 15 N-s and the
CEP [m] combination of software parameters which, according to the
50
tm in
previous analysis, yields the best results for such energy
76
45 =2 resources. This analysis shows the negative impact of the
750 KP
40 700 pulse duration on the impact point dispersion, and that this
parameter should be lowered as much as possible in the
35 950 750
design of the control system.
30 900 800
KP [s]
820
25 NI = 32 tmin = 0.05 s
800
20 850 650 Ic = 15 N-s KP = 20 s
780
ωdem = 0.1 rad/s
15 650 760
CEP [m]
number lowers the dispersion significantly, which implies [2] JITPRAPHAI,T., COSTELLO,M.: Dispersion Reduction of a Direct
that in this case the control system is energy-limited. Fire Rocket Using Lateral Pulse Jets, Journal of Spacecraft and
Rockets, 2001, Vol.38, No.6, pp.929-936.
[3] JITPRAPHAI,T., BURCHETT,B., COSTELLO,M.: A Comparison
of Different Guidance Schemes for a Direct-fire Rocket with a Pulse
Jet Control Mechanism, U.S. Army Research Lab, ARL-CR-493,
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, April 2002.
1300
[4] GUPTA,S.K., SAXENA,S., SINGHAL,A., GHOSH,A.K.,
1200 Trajectory Correction Flight Control System using Pulsejet on an
Artillery Rocket Defense Science Journal, 2008, Vol.58, No.1,
1100 pp.15-33.
[5] PAVKOVIĆ, B., PAVIĆ, M., ĆUK, D., ''Trajectory Correction of
1000 Artillery Rockets using Trajectory Tracking with Pulse Frequency
Modulation'', 4th International Scientific Conference оn Defensive
900 Technologies ОTEH 2011 Proceedings, Belgrade 2011, pp 211-216..
CEP [
References
[1] HARKINS,T., BROWN,T.: Using Active Damping as a Precision- Received: 18.04.2012.
Enhancing Technology for 2.75-inch Rockets, ARL-TR-1772, U.S.
Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 1999.
PAVKOVIĆ,B. etc: ENHANCING THE PRECISION OF ARTILLERY ROCKETS USING PULSEJET CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH ACTIVE DAMPING 19
Ključne reči: raketna artiljerija, višecevni raketni bacač, raketni projektil, upravljanje raketom, vođenje rakete, sistem za
upravljanje, impulsno upravljanje, preciznost, korekcija greške, rasturanje pogodaka, efekti na cilju, Metoda Monte
Karlo.
Ключевые слова: реактивная артиллерия, реактивная система залпового огня, ракетные ракеты, управления
ракетой, наведения ракет, системы для управления, импульсное управление, точность, исправление ошибок,
распределение хитов, воздействие на цель, метод Монте-Карло.
Mots clés: artillerie de roquettes, lanceur de roquettes multitube, missile, contrôle de roquette, guidage de roquette,
système de contrôle, contrôle par impulsion, précision, correction de déviation, dispersion, effets sur l’objectif, méthode
Monté Carlo.