Decentralized structural control using Craig-Bampton reduction and local controller design

Large adaptive civil engineering structures are challenging to control due to widely distributed sensor and actuator locations and signal transmission delays. Furthermore, long bus systems and high effort in cable installation are disadvantageous and the dependance on one control unit poses security and safety risks. In this context, we propose a decentralized control scheme, where large structures are subdivided into local substructures, which can be controlled separately. Control design models derived by Craig-Bampton model order reduction preserve rigid body modes and hence outperform reduced order models based on modal analysis. Linear optimal state-feedback controllers are designed for the substructures and applied the combined structure in simulations. The approach is illustrated by means of an adaptive high-rise structure as a numerical example. The performance is compared to a global state feedback controller.