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Athans, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Athans, M..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Feedback system design with an uncertain plant

A method is developed to design a fixed-parameter compensator for a linear, time-invariant, SISO (single-input single-output) plant model characterized by significant structured, as well as unstructured, uncertainty. The controller minimizes the H(infinity) norm of the worst-case sensitivity function over the operating band and the resulting feedback system exhibits robust stability and robust performance. It is conjectured that such a robust nonadaptive control design technique can be used on-line in an adaptive control system.

Milich, D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multi-variable control of the GE T700 engine using the LQG/LTR design methodology

The design of scalar and multi-variable feedback control systems for the GET700 turboshaft engine coupled to a helicopter rotor system is examined. A series of linearized models are presented and analyzed. Robustness and performance specifications are posed in the frequency domain. The linear-quadratic-Gaussian with loop-transfer-recovery (LQG/LTR) methodology is used to obtain a sequence of three feedback designs. Even in the single-input/single-output case, comparison of the current control system with that derived from the LQG/LTR approach shows significant performance improvement. The multi-variable designs, evaluated using linear and nonlinear simulations, show even more potential for performance improvement.

Pfeil, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A tutorial on the LQG/LTR method

In this paper the so-called Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian method with Loop-Transfer-Recovery is surveyed. The objective is to provide a pragmatic exposition, with special emphasis on the step-by-step characteristics for designing multivariable feedback control systems.

Athans, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multi-variable control of the GE T700 engine using the LQG/LTR design methodology

The design of scalar and multi-variable feedback control systems for the GE T700 turboshaft engine coupled to a helicopter rotor system is examined. A series of linearized models are presented and analyzed. Robustness and performance specifications are posed in the frequency domain. The linear-quadratic-Gaussian with loop-transfer-recovery (LQG/LTR) methodology is used to obtain a sequence of three feedback designs. Even in the single-input/single-output case, comparison of the current control system with that derived from the LQG/LTR approach shows significant performance improvement. The multi-variable designs, evaluated using linear and nonlinear simulations, show even more potential for performance improvement.

Pfeil, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Feedback system design with an uncertain plant

A method is developed to design a fixed-parameter compensator for a linear, time-invariant, SISO (single-output single-output) plant model characterized by significant structured, as well as unstructured, uncertainty. The controller minimizes the H(infinity) norm of the worst-case sensitivity function over the operating band and the resulting feedback system exhibits robust stability and robust performance. It is conjectured that such a robust nonadaptive control design technique can be used on-line in an adaptive control system.

Milich, D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Robustness of continuous-time adaptive control algorithms in the presence of unmodeled dynamics

This paper examines the robustness properties of existing adaptive control algorithms to unmodeled plant high-frequency dynamics and unmeasurable output disturbances. It is demonstrated that there exist two infinite-gain operators in the nonlinear dynamic system which determines the time-evolution of output and parameter errors. The pragmatic implications of the existence of such infinite-gain operators is that: (1) sinusoidal reference inputs at specific frequencies and/or (2) sinusoidal output disturbances at any frequency (including dc), can cause the loop gain to increase without bound, thereby exciting the unmodeled high-frequency dynamics, and yielding an unstable control system. Hence, it is concluded that existing adaptive control algorithms as they are presented in the literature referenced in this paper, cannot be used with confidence in practical designs where the plant contains unmodeled dynamics because instability is likely to result. Further understanding is required to ascertain how the currently implemented adaptive systems differ from the theoretical systems studied here and how further theoretical development can improve the robustness of adaptive controllers.

Rohrs, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Multivariable control systems with saturating actuators antireset windup strategies

Preliminary, promising, results for introducing antireset windup (ARW) properties in multivariable feedback control systems with multiple saturating actuator nonlinearities and integrating actions are presented. The ARW method introduces simple nonlinear feedback around the integrators. The multiloop circle criterion is used to derive sufficient conditions for closed-loop stability that employ frequency-domain singular value tests. The improvement in transient response due to the ARW feedback is demonstrated using a 2-input 2-outpurt control system based upon F-404 jet engine dynamics.

Kapasouris, P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Multivariable control of VTOL aircraft for shipboard landing

The problem of the automatic landing of VTOL aircraft on small ships is considered. Linear quadratic optimal control theory is used to design a VTOL ship motion tracking controller. Optimal root-loci and step responses are obtained to study the dynamics of the closed-loop system. Standard deviations of the ship motion tracking errors, and of the VTOL control amplitudes are computed, illustrating the tradeoff between accurate tracking, and limited control authority. Multivariable robustness margins are also obtained. The tracking of the vertical motion presents the difficulty of requiring large variations of the VTOL total thrust, a control which is limited both in amplitude and in bandwidth. Lateral controls are less restricted, but the motions are strongly coupled, with some adverse couplings in the ship motions, and in the aircraft dynamics. The advantage of the LQ control theory is demonstrated however, by its ability to account for these couplings in a robust manner, and, when possible, to use them to limit the control amplitudes.

Bodson, M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Some design guidelines for discrete-time adaptive controllers

There have been many algorithms proposed for adaptive control which will provide globally asymptotically stable controllers if some stringent conditions on the plant are met. The conditions on the plant cannot be met in practice as all plants will contain high frequency unmolded dynamics therefore, blind implementation of the published algorithms can lead to disastrous results. This paper uses a linearization analysis of a non-linear adaptive controller to demonstrate analytically design guidelines which aleviate some of the problems associated with adaptive control in the presence of unmodeled dynamics.

Rohrs, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Multivariable control systems with saturating actuators antireset windup strategies

This paper contains preliminary, yet promising, results for introducing antirest windup (ARW) properties in multivariable feedback control systems with multiple saturating actuator nonlinearities and integrating action. The ARW method introduces simple nonlinear feedback around the integrators. The multiloop circle criterion is used to derive sufficient conditions for closed-loop stability that employ frequency-domain singular value tests. The improvement in transient response due to the ARW feedback is demonstrated using a 2-input 2-output control system based upon the F-404 jet engine dynamcis.

Kapasouris, P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A methodology for designing robust multivariable nonlinear feedback control systems

This paper presents an outline of a methodology for the design of nonlinear dynamic compensators for nonlinear multivariable systems with guarantees of closed-loop stability, robustness, and performance. The method is an extension of the Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian with Loop-Transfer-Recovery (LQG/LTR) methodology for linear systems, thus hinging upon the idea of constructing an approximate nonlinear inverse operator for the plant. A major feature of the method is a unification of both the state-space and Input-Output formulations. The major results of the paper are: (1) Properties of the solution of certain optimal control problems; (2) New results on nonlinear estimation, including a new nonlinear observer with certain guaranteed properties; (3) The Loop Operator Recovery (LOR) procedure, and (4) Inclusion of command-following and disturbance rejection with a goal of a closed-loop stable, robust system.

Grunberg, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Guaranteed robustness properties of multivariable nonlinear stochastic optimal regulators

The robustness of optimal regulators for nonlinear, deterministic and stochastic, multi-input dynamical systems is studied under the assumption that all state variables can be measured. It is shown that, under mild assumptions, such nonlinear regulators have a guaranteed infinite gain margin; moreover, they have a guaranteed 50 percent gain reduction margin and a 60 degree phase margin, in each feedback channel, provided that the system is linear in the control and the penalty to the control is quadratic, thus extending the well-known properties of LQ regulators to nonlinear optimal designs. These results are also valid for infinite horizon, average cost, stochastic optimal control problems.

Tsitsiklis, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Adaptive control: Myths and realities

It was found that all currently existing globally stable adaptive algorithms have three basic properties in common: positive realness of the error equation, square-integrability of the parameter adjustment law and, need for sufficient excitation for asymptotic parameter convergence. Of the three, the first property is of primary importance since it satisfies a sufficient condition for stabillity of the overall system, which is a baseline design objective. The second property has been instrumental in the proof of asymptotic error convergence to zero, while the third addresses the issue of parameter convergence. Positive-real error dynamics can be generated only if the relative degree (excess of poles over zeroes) of the process to be controlled is known exactly; this, in turn, implies perfect modeling. This and other assumptions, such as absence of nonminimum phase plant zeros on which the mathematical arguments are based, do not necessarily reflect properties of real systems. As a result, it is natural to inquire what happens to the designs under less than ideal assumptions. The issues arising from violation of the exact modeling assumption which is extremely restrictive in practice and impacts the most important system property, stability, are discussed.

Athans, M.↗