Unified multiobjective optimization scheme for aeroassisted vehicle trajectory planning

In this work, a multiobjective aeroassisted trajectory optimization problem with mission priority constraints is constructed and studied. To effectively embed the priority requirements into the optimization model, a specific transformation technique is applied and the original problem is then transcribed to a single-objective formulation. The resulting single-objective programming model is solved via an evolutionary optimization algorithm. Such a design is unlike most traditional approaches where the nondominated sorting procedure is required to be performed to rank all the objectives. Moreover, in order to enhance the local search ability of the optimization process, a hybrid gradient-based operator is introduced. Simulation results indicate that the proposed design can produce feasible and high-quality flight trajectories. Comparative simulations with other typical methods are also performed, and the results show that the proposed approach can achieve a better performance in terms of satisfying the prespecified priority requirements.