Distributed-observer-based cooperative control for synchronization of linear discrete-time multi-agent systems

This paper considers output synchronization of discrete-time multi-agent systems with directed communication topologies. The directed communication graph contains a spanning tree and the exosystem as its root. Distributed observer-based consensus protocols are proposed, based on the relative outputs of neighboring agents. A multi-step algorithm is presented to construct the observer-based protocols. In light of the discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation and internal model principle, synchronization problem is completed. At last, numerical simulation is provided to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Digital versus analog control of bilateral teleoperation systems: A task performance comparison

Controller discretization has the potential to jeopardize the stability of a bilateral teleoperation system. As reported in the literature, stability conditions impose bounds on the gains of the discrete-time controller and the sampling period and also a trade-off between the two. This paper shows a choice of task for which large sampling periods, necessitating low control gains for maintaining stability, lead to low teleoperation transparency and unacceptable task performance. It continues to show that users can successfully perform the same task if the controller is implemented using analog components. This highlights the advantages of analog haptics in tasks involving the display of highly stiff environments. The paper also highlights the constraints in designing analog haptic teleoperation controllers and proposes design guidelines to address them.     

New variable gain super-twisting sliding mode observer for sensorless vector control of nonsinusoidal back-EMF PMSM

This paper presents a new discrete-time super-twisting sliding mode observer with variable gains for sensorless nonsinusoidal vector control of permanent magnet synchronous motors. This observer is adopted to estimate the back electromotive forces (back-EMF) that are required for the rotor speed estimation and for the nonsinusoidal vector control. In addition, their gains are time-varying to minimize the chattering. So, they are adjusted based on internal states of the super-twisting algorithm. The stability analysis is investigated from the Lyapunov theory for discrete-time systems. Finally, simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the good performance and the effectiveness of the proposed observer.     

Optimal control of discrete-time bilinear systems with applications to switched linear stochastic systems

This paper aims at characterizing the most destabilizing switching law for discrete-time switched systems governed by a set of bounded linear operators. The switched system is embedded in a special class of discrete-time bilinear control systems. This allows us to apply the variational approach to the bilinear control system associated with a Mayer-type optimal control problem, and a second-order necessary optimality condition is derived. Optimal equivalence between the bilinear system and the switched system is analyzed, which shows that any optimal control law can be equivalently expressed as a switching law. This specific switching law is most unstable for the switched system, and thus can be used to determine stability under arbitrary switching. Based on the second-order moment of the state, the proposed approach is applied to analyze uniform mean-square stability of discrete-time switched linear stochastic systems. Numerical simulations are presented to verify the usefulness of the theoretic results.     

On the solution of the tracking problem for non-linear systems with MPC

This paper presents a Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for non-linear systems which solves the tracking problem for asymptotically constant references. Closed-loop stability of the equilibrium and asymptotic zero-error regulation are guaranteed. The performance of the method is discussed with the classical Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) control application.     

Time-varying discrete-time linear systems with bounded rates of variation: Stability analysis and control design

This paper investigates the problems of robust stability analysis and state feedback control design for discrete-time linear systems with time-varying parameters. It is assumed that the time-varying parameters lie inside a polytopic domain and have known bounds on their rate of variation. A convex model is proposed to represent the parameters and their variations as a polytope and linear matrix inequality relaxations that take into account the bounds on the rates of parameter variations are proposed. A feasible solution provides a parameter-dependent Lyapunov function with polynomial dependence on the parameters assuring the robust stability of this class of systems. Extensions to deal with robust control design as well as gain-scheduling by state feedback are also provided in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Numerical examples illustrate the results.     

Existence of unmixed solutions of the discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation and a nonstrictly bounded real lemma

The existence of a solution of the discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation is established assuming modulus controllability and positive semidefiniteness on the unit circle of the Popov function. As an application a nonstrictly bounded real lemma is obtained.     

Isolated nonnegative solutions of infinite-dimensional algebraic Riccati equations

For an infinite-dimensional continuous (or discrete)-time linear system, based on the study of the representation of nonnegative solutions of the algebraic Riccati equation (ARE), we get some sufficient and necessary conditions for a nonnegative solution of (ARE) to be isolated in the set of all nonnegative solution of (ARE) with respect to the norm topology, the strong operator topology and weak operator topology, respectively.