Analysis and synthesis tools for a class of actuator-limited multivariable control systems: A linear matrix inequality approach

It is well known that actuator limits can introduce severe performance degradation and possible instability in control systems. Thus some form of limit protection is required in any practical control problem. Though there exist schemes which successfully address this problem in single-input, single-output systems, there are comparatively few methods for multi-input, multi-output systems. Using results from the area of linear matrix inequalities, this work proposes a method of designing limit protection for a class of actuator-limited multivariable control systems. Two examples are given to illustrate the potential of this method for providing stability and desirable performance properties of the systems subject to actuator saturation limits.