Multistep Guaranteed Cost Control of Linear Systems with Uncertain Parameters

Abstract

In many physical systems, an accurate knowledge of certain parameters is very difficult or very expensive to obtain. The designer of a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) flight control system, for example, frequently has little data available regarding aerodynamic coefficients, due to a lack of wind tunnel tests. Based on the concept of guaranteed cost control, an algorithm has been developed to analyze the effect of parameter uncertainties on closed-loop system stability. A multistep extension of the guaranteed cost control method is developed for choosing constant feedback gains which result in stable closed-loop behavior for a range of parameter values. This technique has been applied to the design of a lateral autopilot for a rudderless RPV with uncertain aerodynamic coefficients.