Quantitative Feedback Design of Decentralized Control Systems

In the spirit of practical applicability, design transparency and quantitative specifications, this paper presents a new robust decentralized control design framework-model reference quantitative feedback design (MRQFD)-for multivariable control systems with large plant uncertainty and strong cross-coupling. The MRQFD method provides a connection between Rosenbrock's Nyquist array and Horowitz's quantitative feedback theory. There are two main stages in the MRQFD method. First, an internal model reference loop, based on non-negative matrix theory, is used to obtain robust generalized diagonal dominance and hence the reduction of uncertainty in the resultant compensated internal loop system