Investigation of Parameter Space for the Effective Estimation of a Helicopter Model

This thesis aims to conduct a sensitivity analysis on a flight simulation model for an helicopter. The model is developed in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, with the goal of being integrated into a real-time flight simulator at the Centre for Aviation (ZAV). The project was carried out as part of an exchange program at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). Helicopters are complex systems, so it is crucial to study how different parameters influence their performance. After implementing these parameters in the model, several maneuvers are generated for sensitivity analysis. During sensitivity analysis, parameters are perturbed to determine which ones have the greatest impact on the model's response. Before this analysis, system identification, a process of determining an appropriate mathematical model, is important to identify the aerodynamic forces acting on the helicopter that can't be directly measured. This process ensures the estimation of high-fidelity aerodynamic databases, and it also provides a general understanding of the dynamics of the flight vehicle. In addition, system identification can improve the fidelity of the flight simulator to provide a realistic pilot training environment, minimizing the risk and cost of experimental testing. The main result of the thesis is to identify a list of tunable parameters for the model, which will be used in the parameter identification campaign. As aside result, since the maneuvers and outputs have been studied, some guidelines have been produced on which maneuvers should be used for parameter estimation and which outputs to focus on.