Optimal Hybrid Control For Structures ∗ Jianbo

A new method for integrated design of passive and active elements is presented. Rather than the existing qualitative selection of parameters for passive elements, a quantitative approach is proposed which finds optimal active and passive parameters with respect to an H2/H∞ performance requirement. This new approach automatically yields passive designs when the given performance limits are high enough, and active (hybrid) designs when the given performance constraints are stringent. Furthermore, our algorithm finds that the special performance requirement (the peak of the frequency response) which cannot be satisfied by any passive design. Hence, this paper shows how to determine WHEN is control required, rather than assuming a priori that it is or it is not required. A simple design method given herein yields any one of passive, active and hybrid designs, depending only on the level of the performance constraints that are specified in the statement of the problem.