A Comparative Study of Analog and Digital Control Laws for the UWCSL Truss

Abstract

This thesis is based on research conducted at the University of Washington Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Control Systems Laboratory (UWCSL). The UWCSL 20-bay planar truss is a replica of an experimental testbed at the United States Air Force Academy. Validation and modification of existing finite element models of the truss and the two primary means of structurally- borne actuation, the air jet thrusters and the reaction mass actuators, was accomplished and is discussed. Verification of classical analog controllers to actively suppress vibration of the planar bending modes of the truss using the air jet thruster and reaction mass actuators in independent and in hybrid configurations is reported in this thesis. The discretization and digitization of the classical control law was accomplished and the results of computer simulation, linear and non-linear, and experimental testing are reported. A comparison of the performance of the analog and the digital control laws is reported. The design of an optimal controller for the reaction mass actuators utilizing Linear Quadratic (LQ) techniques is reported, and includes non-linear simulation. Simulation of hybrid actuation utilizing the optimal reaction mass actuator control law and the classical air jet thruster controllers is also reported. Recommendations for future study based upon both the hardware implementation and the computer simulation are suggested in the conclusions of this thesis.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA267980

Entities

People

  • Anthony M. Mitchell

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Force
  • Analog Computers
  • Closed Loop Systems
  • Computational Science
  • Computer Simulations
  • Computers
  • Control Panels
  • Control Systems
  • Control Systems Engineering
  • Difference Equations
  • Differential Equations
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Measurement
  • Resonant Frequency
  • Signal Processing
  • Transducers

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Control Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers