Robust control design with MATLAB. With CD-ROM. (Q2566127)

As the authors write in their preface: ``This book is for people who want to learn how to deal with robust control system design problems but may not want to research the relevant theoretic[al] developments''. The mathematics is thus kept to a minimum. So the intention is pedagogical, to promote the methods developed in academia among engineers and students (assuming that theory is not a priority for them). The first part ``Basic methods and theory'' is devoted to this necessary aspect, providing definitions for coprime factorisations, linear fractional transformations, the structured singular values, \(H_\infty\) design and loop shaping, \(\mu\)-analysis. The second part presents experimental results on several applied problems: A mass-damper-spring system, an inverted pendulum, a hard disk drive, a distillation column, a rocket, a flexible-link manipulator. In such cases, the authors try to compare the properties of their controllers, especially the \(H_\infty\) controller and the \(\mu\)-controller. The comparison is not systematic and the conclusions from the comparisons are more hints than established results (as to be expected from experimental work). They observe that the \(\mu\)-controller may require order reduction but may provide better transient properties. In the case of the distillation column the authors notice that the performance of both controllers is similar, but that devising the \(\mu\)-controller requires more computational effort. For the rocket, the \(H_\infty\) controller does not guarantee robust performance while the \(\mu\)-controller does. The last example of the book illustrates that \(\mu\)-synthesis works. In all the cases, difficulties in modelling are stressed (especially the linearization procedure and the choice of weighting parameters). Also let us mention that several sections in the conclusions just repeat well-known facts. 175 references and an index are provided at the end. There is a CD-ROM added but it can only be used with the MATLAB robust control package. The main value of the book is its illustrative character showing how methodologies in robust control are implemented and what is the activity of control designers. So the book is for practitioners. However, a conceptual background allowing for a better assessment of the controllers for each application and a meaningful comparison of the applications is needed. Perhaps an indirect invitation to look for theory.