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At least 109 records · Page 6

Robust control of nonlinear flexible multibody systems using quaternion feedback and dissipative compensation

Global asymptotic stability of a class of nonlinear multibody flexible space-stnuctures under dissipative compensation is established. Two cases are considered. The first case allows unlimited nonlinear motions of the entire system and uses quaternion feedback. The second case assumes that the central body motion is in the linear range although the other bodies can undergo unrestricted nonlinear motion. The stability is proved to be robust to the inherent modeling nonlinearities and uncertainties. Furthermore for the second case the stability is also shown to be robust to certain actuator and sensor nonlinearities. The stability proofs use the Lyapunov approach and exploit the inherent passivity of such systems. The results are applicable to a wide class of systems including flexible space-structures with articulated flexible appendages.

Kelkar, Atul G.

Sensitivity of Space Station alpha joint robust controller to structural modal parameter variations

The photovoltaic array sun tracking control system of Space Station Freedom is described. A synthesis procedure for determining optimized values of the design variables of the control system is developed using a constrained optimization technique. The synthesis is performed to provide a given level of stability margin, to achieve the most responsive tracking performance, and to meet other design requirements. Performance of the baseline design, which is synthesized using predicted structural characteristics, is discussed and the sensitivity of the stability margin is examined for variations of the frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios of dominant structural modes. The design provides enough robustness to tolerate a sizeable error in the predicted modal parameters. A study was made of the sensitivity of performance indicators as the modal parameters of the dominant modes vary. The design variables are resynthesized for varying modal parameters in order to achieve the most responsive tracking performance while satisfying the design requirements. This procedure of reoptimization design parameters would be useful in improving the control system performance if accurate model data are provided.

Kumar, Renjith R.

Optimal and robust controllers for periodic and multirate systems

The problem of optimal rejection of bounded persistent disturbances is solved in the case of linear discrete-time periodic systems. The solution consists of solving an equivalent time-invariant standard l1 optimization problem subject to an additional constraint. This constraint assures the causality of the resulting periodic controller. By the duality theory, the problem is shown to be equivalent to a linear programming problem, which is no harder than the standard l1 problem. Also, it is shown that the method of solution presented applies exactly to the problem of disturbance rejection in the case of multirate sampled data systems. Finally, the results are applied to the problem of robust stabilization of periodic and multirate systems.

Dahleh, Munther A.

Robust control with structured perturbations

This semi-annual report describes continued progress on the research. Among several approaches in this area of research, our approach to the parametric uncertainties are being matured everyday. This approach deals with real parameter uncertainties which other techniques such as H (sup infinity) optimal control, micron analysis and synthesis, and l(sub 1) optimal control cannot deal. The primary assumption of this approach is that the mathematical models are well obtained so that the most of system uncertainties can be translated into parameter uncertainties of their linear system representations. These uncertainties may be due to modeling, nonlinearity of the physical system, some time-varying parameters, etc. In this report period of research, we are concentrating on implementing a computer aided analysis and design tool based on new results on parametric robust stability. This implementation will help us to reveal further details in this approach.

Keel, Leehyun

Preliminary demonstration of a robust controller design method

Alternative computational procedures for obtaining a feedback control law which yields a control signal based on measurable quantitites are evaluated. The three methods evaluated are: (1) the standard linear quadratic regulator design model; (2) minimization of the norm of the feedback matrix, k via nonlinear programming subject to the constraint that the closed loop eigenvalues be in a specified domain in the complex plane; and (3) maximize the angles between the closed loop eigenvectors in combination with minimizing the norm of K also via the constrained nonlinear programming. The third or robust design method was chosen to yield a closed loop system whose eigenvalues are insensitive to small changes in the A and B matrices. The relationship between orthogonality of closed loop eigenvectors and the sensitivity of closed loop eigenvalues is described. Computer programs are described.

Anderson, L. R.

A variable structure approach to robust control of VTOL aircraft

This paper examines the application of variable structure control theory to the design of a flight control system for the AV-8A Harrier in a hover mode. The objective in variable structure design is to confine the motion to a subspace of the total state space. The motion in this subspace is insensitive to system parameter variations and external disturbances that lie in the range space of the control. A switching type of control law results from the design procedure. The control system was designed to track a vector velocity command defined in the body frame. For comparison purposes, a proportional controller was designed using optimal linear regulator theory. Both control designs were first evaluated for transient response performance using a linearized model, then a nonlinear simulation study of a hovering approach to landing was conducted. Wind turbulence was modeled using a 1052 destroyer class air wake model.

Calise, A. J.

A variable structure approach to robust control of VTOL aircraft

This paper examines the application of variable structure control theory to the design of a flight control system for the AV-8A Harrier in a hover mode. The objective in variable structure design is to confine the state trajectories to a subspace of the total state space. The motion in this subspace is insensitive to system parameter variations and external disturbances that lie in the range space of the control. A switching type of control law results from the design procedure. The control system was designed to track a vector-valued velocity command. For comparison, a proportional controller was designed using optimal linear regulator theory. Both controllers were evaluated for their transient response performance using a linear model; then a nonlinear simulation study of a hovering approach to landing was conducted. The variable structure controller outperformed its linear counterpart in the presence of wind disturbances and plant parameter uncertainties afforded by the simulation.

Calise, A. J.

Simple robust control laws for robot manipulators. Part 2: Adaptive case

A new class of asymptotically stable adaptive control laws is introduced for application to the robotic manipulator. Unlike most applications of adaptive control theory to robotic manipulators, this analysis addresses the nonlinear dynamics directly without approximation, linearization, or ad hoc assumptions, and utilizes a parameterization based on physical (time-invariant) quantities. This approach is made possible by using energy-like Lyapunov functions which retain the nonlinear character and structure of the dynamics, rather than simple quadratic forms which are ubiquitous to the adaptive control literature, and which have bound the theory tightly to linear systems with unknown parameters. It is a unique feature of these results that the adaptive forms arise by straightforward certainty equivalence adaptation of their nonadaptive counterparts found in the companion to this paper (i.e., by replacing unknown quantities by their estimates) and that this simple approach leads to asymptotically stable closed-loop adaptive systems. Furthermore, it is emphasized that this approach does not require convergence of the parameter estimates (i.e., via persistent excitation), invertibility of the mass matrix estimate, or measurement of the joint accelerations.

Bayard, D. S.

Robust controller synthesis for large flexible space structures

The application of a multivariable frequency domain method for the attitude control and vibration suppression of large flexible space structures is discussed. Results of application of the linear-quadratic-Gaussian/loop transfer recovery method to the cases of a hop/column antenna, a wrap-rib antenna, and the Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment are presented. Controller order reduction is implemented using the balanced realization method, a Hankel-norm-based method, and a method based on stable factorization.

Joshi, S. M.

Vibration damping and robust control of the JPL/AFAL experiment using mu-synthesis

The technology for controlling elastic deformations of flexible structures is one of the key considerations for future space initiatives. A vital area needed to achieve this objective is the development of a control design methodology applicable to future structures. The mu-synthesis technique is employed to design a high-performance vibration attenuation controller for the JPL/AFAL experimental flexible antenna structure. The results presented deal primarily with the control of first two global flexible modes using only two hub actuators and two hub sensors. Implementation of the multivariable control laws based on a finite-element model is presented. All results are from actual implementation on the JPL/AFAL flexible structure testbed.

Balas, Gary J.

Robust control of an active precision truss structure

A description is given of the efforts in control of an active precision truss structure experiment. The control objective is to provide vibration suppression to selected modes of the structure subject to a bandlimited disturbance and modeling errors. Based on performance requirements and an uncertainty description, several control laws using the H-infinity optimization method are synthesized. The controllers are implemented on the experimental facility. Preliminary experimental results are presented.

Chu, C. C.

Sensitivity of Space Station Alpha Joint robust controller to structural modal parameter variations

The baseline design of the photovoltaic-array sun-tracking control system is presented with special attention given to the optimization of design variables related to stability and performance. The procedures utilized to attenuate control/structure interaction are described, and controller sensitivity to variations in structural modal parameters is examined. Constrained optimization techniques determine the stability margin and tracking capability, which are then tested for sensitivity to variations in natural frequency, mode-shape amplitudes, and modal-damping ratios. The effect of variations in the modal parameters of the dominant modes on performance indicators is also examined to optimize tracking-performance responsiveness and satisfy the design requirements. It is concluded that accurate on-orbit modal data are necessary to make the reoptimization procedure effective in improving the performance of the control system.

Kumar, Renjith R.

Low bandwidth robust controllers for flight

During the final reporting period (Jun. - Dec. 1992), analyses of the longitudinal and lateral flying qualities were made for propulsive-only flight control (POFC) of a Boeing 720 aircraft model. Performance resulting from compensators developed using Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) is documented and analyzed. This report is a first draft of a thesis to be presented by graduate student Hwei-Lan Chou. The final thesis will be presented to NASA when it is completed later this year. The latest landing metrics related to bandwidth criteria and based on the Neal-Smith approach to flying qualities prediction were used in developing performance criteria for the controllers. The compensator designs were tested on the NASA simulator and exhibited adequate performance for piloted flight. There was no significant impact of QFT on performance of the propulsive-only flight controllers in either the longitudinal or lateral modes of flight. This was attributed to the physical limits of thrust available and the engine rate of response, both of whiih severely limited the available bandwidth of the closed-loop system.

Biezad, Daniel J.

Research in robust control for hypersonic vehicles

During the first reporting period research concentrated on finishing the modeling work required for a representative model of a scramjet propulsion system for hypersonic vehicles. An existing hypersonic propulsion code was adjusted to the winged-cone configuration. In this process the complete force and moment calculation was revised. The advantageous feature of the code to account for angle of attack variations was then used to compute the thrust, lift, and pitching moment contributions of the propulsion system not only for various Mach numbers and fuel equivalence ratios, but also for different angles of attack.

Calise, A. J.