Introduction

Abstract

The goal of the research that this book is based on has been to establish a systematic procedure for the design of gain-scheduling controllers. In industry, gain-scheduled controllers are normally developed with long hours of ad-hoc tuning and calibration through, for example, engine dynamometer and vehicle field tests. While these controllers are often used successfully in many practical applications, the design process through which they are obtained is less than ideal. Not only is the process expensive and time consuming, but more importantly it may not guarantee the stability and performance of the closed-loop system for all possible time-varying parameters. In addition, the performance of the closed-loop system with gain-scheduling controllers designed in this way is dependent on the experience of person doing the calibration. In order to meet the challenges posed by the strict requirements facing many industries these days, a systematic process for designing gain-scheduled controllers with guaranteed performance and stability for all time-varying parameters is needed.