Simulation Framework of Tethered Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

This paper introduces a comprehensive simulation model for the control system of a tethered fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The model comprehensively simulates the UAV, winch, and tether and analyzes their interactions in depth. By integrating these components into a unified system model, one can better understand the overall system operations. This study employs optimization methods to address convergence issues associated with the tether in rapid simulations. Furthermore, both flight and winch controllers were developed to collaboratively simulate and validate the path -tracking capabilities of the system. The simulation examined the effects of calm conditions on the influence of the tether on the UAV path-tracking performance. In addition, the effects of the tether on the flight attitude, altitude, and speed of the UAV were examined. Through rigorous validation, the simulation model confirmed that traditional controllers are unable to effectively counteract the disturbances caused by the tether, resulting in suboptimal trajectory tracking performance. However, the controllers are still able to accomplish basic flight tasks.