Robust control of a laboratory aircraft model via fast output sampling

Abstract

A new multimodel approach to robust controller design is illustrated by a practical application: for a laboratory aircraft model, a robust controller is designed for acceptable performance, in normal operating conditions and under propeller failure, simultaneously. Based on a linear model for each operating mode, linear matrix inequality (LMI) formulation of the problem and convex programming are used to search for a state feedback controller that achieves the objective. This state feedback design is then realized simultaneously in both operating modes by a controller that is based on fast output sampling. Robust performance is demonstrated by experimental results. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.