LINEAR PARAMETER*VARYING CONTROL FOR ACTIVE FLUTTER SUPPRESSION

A linear parameter-varying (LPV) model of the Benchmark Active Controls Technology (BACT) windtunnel model is developed to facilitate the synthesis and analysis of flutter suppression controllers. The BACT wind-tunnel model is a part of NASA Langley Research Center's Benchmark Models Program initiated to study aeroelastic phenomena and flutter suppression. The LPV model developed in this paper is a function of both Mach number and dynamic pressure and accurately represents the BACT wind-tunnel model over a large flight envelope. This LPV model makes it possible to rigorously investigate the robustness properties of flutter suppression controllers developed for the BACT wing. Furthermore, it enables the use of recent results in LPV control theory to develop robust, automatically gain-scheduled flutter suppression controllers.