Anti-windup synthesis using Riccati equations

This thesis studies the design and implementation of anti-windup compensators for systems with magnitude and rate-limited actuators; the thesis contains four main contributions. The first is the development of a new method for anti-windup compensator design, based on the solution of a single Riccati equation, for systems with magnitude saturated actuators. The second contribution shows how this new method can be adapted to systems with rate saturation. The third contribution describes the application of the anti-windup techniques developed to a complex experimental aircraft model in order to reduce the susceptibility to pilot-induced-oscillations. The thesis culminates with a description and analysis of the implementation of these anti-windup compensators on a real aircraft and the subsequent flight tests. The flight test results clearly illustrate the advantages of employing anti-windup compensation in terms of improved handling qualities and reduced susceptibility pilot-induced-oscillations.