| Abstract: | A multiobjective approach to the combined structure and control optimization problem for flexible space structures is presented. The proposed formulation addresses robustness considerations for controller design, as well as a simultaneous determination of optimum actuator locations. The structural weight, controlled system energy, stability robustness index and damping augmentation provided by the active controller are considered as objective functions of the multiobjective problem which is solved using a cooperative game-theoretic approach. The actuator locations and the cross-sectional areas of structural members are treated as design variables. Since the actuator locations are spatially discrete, whereas the cross-sectional areas are continuous, the optimization problem has mixed discrete-continuous design variables. A solution approach to this problem based on a hybrid optimization scheme is presented. The hybrid optimizer is a synergetic blend of artificial genetic search and gradient-based search techniques. The computational procedure is demonstrated through the design of an ACOSS-FOUR space structure. The optimum solutions obtained using the hybrid optimizer are shown to outperform the optimum results obtained using gradient-based search techniques. |
