Robust stabilizing compensators for flexible structures with collocated controls (Q1909384)

The author considers a Hilbert space system model for flexible structures with collocated rate and attitude sensors/actuators. While the model is allowed to be infinite-dimensional, the controllers (compensators) are finite-dimensional and can be specified in terms of square-matrix ``transfer functions''. The main result is a characterization of finite-dimensional transfer function compensators that provide modal stability of the closed-loop system and are also robust in the sense that stability is guaranteed whatever the structure parameters. The term modal stability is used to signify that the eigenvalues of the closed-loop system matrix in finite dimensions -- or the infinitesimal generator in infinite dimensions -- have strictly negative real parts. The conditions stated require that the compensator transfer functions be positive real which, in infinite dimensions, is shown to be equivalent to dissipativity. The author also establishes that, for a subclass of compensators, it is possible to make the system strongly stable as well as dissipative in an appropriate energy norm.