Stability and robust regulation of passive linear systems

Abstract

We study the stability of coupled impedance passive regular linear systems under power-preserving interconnections. We present new conditions for strong, exponential, and nonuniform stability of the closed-loop system. We apply the stability results to the construction of passive error feedback controllers for robust output tracking and disturbance rejection for strongly stabilizable passive systems. In the case of nonsmooth reference and disturbance signals we present conditions for nonuniform rational and logarithmic rates of convergence of the output. The results are illustrated with examples on designing controllers for linear wave and heat equations, and on studying the stability of a system of coupled partial differential equations.