Abstract—Adaptive structures, i.e. structures equipped with active load-bearing elements, enable ultra-lightweight construction but also come with additional challenges. Control of such structures needs to be performed in real-time with high reliability and robustness. Decentralization provides a means to reduce cost and increase both redundancy and reliability. In this contribution, we introduce a method for decentralized state estimation and control of adaptive high-rise structures. Subsystem models are derived from a global Finite Element (FE) model of the structure using model order reduction techniques which enables the use of distributed and Decentralized Information Filters (DDIF) for local observers. By projecting between local state spaces, networked control of decentralized units can be realized. We compare decentralized controllers with different levels of interconnectedness to centralized Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control of the same structure and conclude that similar or even better performance can be achieved, depending on the requirements on energy consumption and damping response. 

 

Index Terms—Decentralized control, adaptive structures, networked control, fourth term, sensor fusion, structural dynamics

Cite: Alexander Warsewa, Julia L. Wagner, Michael Böhm, Oliver Sawodny, and Cristina Tarín, "Networked Decentralized Control of Adaptive Structures," Journal of Communications vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 496-502, June 2020. Doi: 10.12720/jcm.15.6.496-502

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