Decentralized Control via the Block Sequential Return Difference Method

There are now several good techniques available for the computer aided design of multivariable control systems. However, all of these techniques are limited in one way or another to systems of relatively modest size. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method whereby any of the multivariable control system design techniques can be extended to the design of decentralized controllers for large scale system. The basis of this extension is a generalization of Mayne´s sequential return difference method from scalar to block form. The results include a design algorithm, stability result, sensitivity studies and some techniques for determining whether right half plane zeroes will occur.