Optimal actuator placement and static load compensation for a class of distributed parameter systems

Adaptive structures where actuators are incorporated into a building structure have the potential to reduce resource consumption in construction industry drastically. However, the performance of static load compensation depends to a large extend on the actuator placement. This paper presents optimal actuator placement for systems with distributed parameters based on the Gramian compensability matrix. To provide a general framework for different kind of loads, static loads are discretized as Dirac impacts. The resulting optimal actuator placement is robust against unknown load amplitudes, as load profiles are only considered qualitatively in the cost function. Further, the optimal control input for a given load results directly from the optimization problem. The procedure is illustrated for a Kirchhoff-Love plate and integrated fluidic actuators.