Recent advances in static output-feedback controller design with applications to vibration control of large structures

In this paper, we present a novel two-step strategy for static output-feedback controller design. In the first step, an optimal state-feedback controller is obtained by means of a linear matrix inequality (LMI) formulation. In the second step, a transformation of the LMI variables is used to derive a suitable LMI formulation for the static output-feedback controller. This design strategy can be applied to a wide range of practical problems, including vibration control of large structures, control of oshore wind turbines, control of automotive suspensions, vehicle driving assistance and disturbance rejection. Moreover, it allows designing decentralized and semi-decentralized static output-feedback controllers by setting a suitable zerononzero structure on the LMI variables. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, two centralized static velocity-feedback H∞ controllers and two fully decentralized static velocity-feedback H∞ controllers are designed for the seismic protection of a five-story building.