<h2>AAS 97-194</h2>
<h2>FEEDBACK TIME-OPTIMAL CONTROL SYNTHESIS FOR FLEXIBLE  STRUCTURES WITH DAMPING                                                                    </h2>
<h4> B. A. AL-Bassam and D. J. Mook, State University of New York at Buffalo                                                                                                  </h4>
<h2> Abstract </h2>
 This paper addresses the problem of time-optimal control for a flexible structure  with damping.  It has the objective of designing a control law that is capable of  driving a flexible link from an initial state to a final state in minimum time  while suppressing any residual vibrations at the final state.  The control input is  assumed to be limited in magnitude, resulting in an on-off type of actuation.  The  dynamics of the flexible link are assumed to be sufficiently described by a fourth- order system of differential equations with one rigid body mode and one flexible  mode.