Dynamics and Control of Structures

This book addresses problems in structural dynamics and control encountered in such applications as: aerospace structures, robotics, earthquake-damage prevention, and active noise suppression. The rapid developments of new technologies and computer power have made it possible to formulate and solve engineering problems that seemed unapproachable only a few years ago. The treatment combines concepts from control engineering (such as system norms and controllability) and structural engineering (such as modal properties and modal models), thereby both revealing new structural properties as well as giving new insights into well-known laws. The techniques discussed will make it easier for structural engineers to design control systems and for control engineers to deal with structural dynamics. The discussion begins by defining flexible structures and structural models, using such examples as the international space station and the antennas of NASA's deep-space network. The book then turns to controllability and observability; properties of system norms (Häsubinfinityü, Häsub2ü, and Hankel); and model reduction in terms of these norms. A discussion of sensor and actuator location follows: selecting these is rarely an easy task. The concluding chapters discuss the design of dissipative LQG and Häsubinfinityü controllers. Matlab codes for many of the procedures and methods discussed in the book are included.