Controller order reduction by using genetic algorithms

Many approaches have been proposed in the literature for controller order reduction. This paper describes a genetic algorithm (GA) procedure which can be used to reduce the order of a controller for a linear system, assuring at the same time the closed loop stability and the approximation of the closed loop response obtained for the full-order controller. With this aim, adopting a GA, a suitable index is minimised in order to derive the reduced-order controller parameters. Some examples are also reported to show the flexibility and capability of the proposed strategy.