Application of control structure design methods to a jet engine

Future jet engines will be more complex with more variables to control to meet increasing demands on functionality. the interaction between the engine and aircraft systems will also increase, with mission specific control and;vith control of thrust direction. To utilize the potential of these engines, it is also necessary to use more advanced control concepts than are conventionally used today, utilizing multivariable control techniques. Important parts of a multivariable control design are to select suitable inputs and outputs and hen; to configure the control laws. This is referred to as control structure design. Some methods to accomplish this have been implemented in MATRIXx and evaluated. ii model of a typical jet engine has been used as application in this evaluation. The general impression from this work is that the tested methods and tools are very usable for selection between a large number of possible structures. However, it is essential to combine the use of the methods with application knowledge and understanding of the control objectives.