Control/structure optimization using sequential linear programming (SLP) with applications to aerospace structural elements

摘要

In the present paper an algorithm for the integrated optimization of control and structure in the design of aerospace structural elements is presented. The weight of the structure has been optimized considering a full-state linear control (a standard linear quadratic regulator) for the suppression of a prescribed level of white-noise disturbance and imposing as constraint a level of control energy. Several control/structure optimization procedures have been proposed and developed in the last decade above all in the field of the flexible space structures pointing out that the trade-off between the acceptable structural deflection us the level of the control energy is generally difficult to assign quan-titatively. In the present apaper the control/structure optimization has been performed using a Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) iterative algorith for the minimum-mass problem and considering also the entries of the weight matrix R-used for the regulator evaluation-as design variables in each optimization loop; furthermore, the locations of the actuators have been also considered as design variables in order to optimize their locations on the structures. Applications of the method either to a wing-like-box structure or to a (DRAPER I) ttrahedral space-truss will be included in the paper.