Design and Experimental Validation of Multi-Objective Gust Load Alleviation Optimal Control for a High Aspect Ratio Flexible Transport Wing

This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a multi-objective optimal control approach for gust load alleviation on a high aspect ratio flexible transport wing. The optimal control is derived from a multi-objective cost function and is evaluated using a dynamically scaled CRM13 half-span model tested in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. State and gust estimation are performed using an extended-state Kalman filter, with additional evaluation of preview based estimation using an upstream gust sensor. Wind tunnel results demonstrate significant attenuation of gust-induced structural response, with wing root strain and wingtip displacement reductions exceeding 50% and 40%, respectively, across multiple gust frequencies. The wind tunnel test results demonstrate the benefits of the multi-objective optimal control control for gust load alleviation of a highly flexible transport wing.