Optimal Configuration of Active‐Control Mechanisms

Abstract

The relative merit of the different control configurations cannot be foreseen by considering only the controllability and observability conditions. A measure of the degree of controllability has to be defined to help choose the best control configuration. The optimal control configuration that maximizes the control effectiveness and minimizes the control cost is considered in this paper. The vibrational mode shapes, the structure‐controller interaction, the control strategy, the control objective, and the control spillover are among the factors influencing the optimal placement of the control actions. The contribution of these factors in the control distribution problem is assessed through numerical examples. It is found that the structure‐controller interaction, a factor usually neglected in previous studies, greatly affects the optimal control distribution. Quantitative measures of the degree of controllability are proposed. Finally the paper presents a methodology for dealing with the optimal control configuration problem, a problem that does not have a unique solution.