Fault tolerant controller design for large space structures

This paper utilizes robust modeling and control techniques to solve the problem of synthesizing a controller that ensures closed loop stability as well as maintaining the desired performance of large space structures under various predicted failure conditions. The approach is divided into two parts. First, we develop a family of MIMO models that includes various predicted failure states in the structures. Then a controller that guarantees robust stability and performance of the entire closed loop family is designed by using the μ-synthesis technique. The key ingredients of this approach are: 1) use of the interval transfer function to model the structures with predicted damage; and 2) utilization of the properties of interval transfer functions to simplify the μ-synthesis procedure. Steps to validate the proposed approach are carried out by simulation