Evolutionary control mode analysis

The control configuration design problem is that of identifying control structures that allow a satisfactory trade-off between the requirements for, say, system performance, safety, reliability and maintainability. However, a number of factors affect the type of control that may be suitable for a particular application. By reference to the control of aircraft gas turbine engines, this paper considers an approach to the problem of control mode analysis based on the use of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms for the search and optimization of suitable control configurations. The proposed method differs from currently available techniques in that it allows a number of potential configurations to be identified and compared with one another, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of each individual scheme, in a single framework-hopefully realising a more informed and efficient design process. As aero-engines become more complex and greater numbers of parameters become controllable and measurable, the need for such tools will increase