Angular orientation determination in SINS: traditional algorithms comparison

Abstract

The principle of organization of strap-down inertial navigation systems is based on numerical integration of angular velocities and accelerations. The purpose of numerical integration algorithms is to approximate the behavior of a dynamic system (unmanned aerial vehicle – UAV) with continuous time using a digital computer. The efficiency of numerical integration is determined by the accuracy and stability of the computational process. The integration algorithm may have a small integration error, but at the same time be inefficient due to the instability of the numerical method when the step or conditions of integration change. The standard way to test integration algorithms for stability is to test them under control operating conditions (when performing a typical UAV flight along the route and canonical movement). The article presents the results of simulation modeling of traditional numerical integration algorithms in the conditions of rectilinear and conical UAV motion, when calculating the values of angular velocities by various methods. The analysis of the obtained research results is carried out, which allows us to choose an algorithm that has an advantage with respect to accuracy and computational simplicity, depending on the flight conditions. For a UAV that has no or minimal undampened angular harmonic oscillations of its body, when performing a typical flight along the route, the best, in terms of accuracy and volume of calculations, is a second-order accuracy algorithm implementing the average speed method. Its average error in calculating angles ranges from 3.6 to 43%, which is approximately equal to the errors values when using the considered algorithms (an algorithm implementing a second approximation to the average speed method, a one-step algorithm of the thirdorder of accuracy), with a three-fold smaller amount of mathematical calculations.