Real-Time Trajectory Planning for Hypersonic Entry Using Adaptive Non-Uniform Discretization and Convex Optimization

This paper introduces an improved sequential convex programming algorithm using adaptive non-uniform discretization for the hypersonic entry problem. In order to ensure real-time performance, an inverse-free precise discretization based on first-order hold discretization is adopted to obtain a high-accuracy solution with fewer temporal nodes, which would lead to constraint violation between the temporal nodes due to the sparse time grid. To deal with this limitation, an adaptive non-uniform discretization is developed, which provides a search direction for purposeful clustering of discrete points by adding penalty terms in the problem construction process. Numerical results show that the proposed method has fast convergence with high accuracy while all the path constraints are satisfied over the time horizon, thus giving potential to real-time trajectory planning.

Automated summary

This paper presents an enhanced sequential convex programming algorithm for the hypersonic entry problem, using adaptive non-uniform discretization. An inverse-free precise discretization based on first-order hold discretization is adopted to achieve high accuracy solution with fewer temporal nodes, but it leads to constraint violation between the temporal nodes due to the sparse time grid. To overcome this limitation, an adaptive non-uniform discretization is developed, which uses penalty terms to purposefully cluster the discrete points. Numerical results demonstrate that this method has fast convergence with high accuracy, and satisfies all path constraints over the time horizon, implying potential for real-time trajectory planning.