Design and validation of a fuzzy logic controller for a smart projectile fin with a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite bimorph actuator

This paper focuses on the design and validation of a fuzzy logic controller for the smart fin of a projectile. The hollow fin is actuated by a cantilevered piezoelectric bimorph that is completely enclosed within it. A linear model of the actuator and fin is identified experimentally by exciting the system using a chirp signal. A procedure for designing a genetic algorithm (GA)-based fuzzy logic controller for the fin is presented. The controller is validated using simulation and experimental testing that is conducted in the subsonic wind tunnel at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Results show that the proposed controller accomplishes the desired fin angle control under various operating conditions.