IMC-based iterative learning control for batch processes with uncertain time delay

Based on the internal model control (IMC) structure, an iterative learning control (ILC) scheme is proposed for batch processes with model uncertainties including time delay mismatch. An important merit is that the IMC design for the initial run of the proposed control scheme is independent of the subsequent ILC for realization of perfect tracking. Sufficient conditions to guarantee the convergence of ILC are derived. To facilitate the controller design, a unified controller form is proposed for implementation of both IMC and ILC in the proposed control scheme. Robust tuning constraints of the unified controller are derived in terms of the process uncertainties described in a multiplicative form. To deal with process uncertainties, the unified controller can be monotonically tuned to meet the compromise between tracking performance and control system robust stability. Illustrative examples from the recent literature are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and merits of the proposed control scheme.     

Iterative learning control with Smith time delay compensator for batch processes

How to improve the control of batch processes is not an easy task because of modeling errors and time delays. In this work, novel iterative learning control (ILC) strategies, which can fully use previous batch control information and are attached to the existing control systems to improve tracking performance through repetition, are proposed for SISO processes which have uncertainties in modeling and time delays. The dynamics of the process are represented by transfer function plus pure time delay. The stability properties of the proposed strategies for batch processes in the presence of uncertainties in modeling and/or time delays are analyzed in the frequency domain. Sufficient conditions guaranteeing convergence of tracking error are stated and proven. Simulation and experimental examples demonstrating these methods are presented.     

A double two-degree-of-freedom control scheme for improved control of unstable delay processes

A double two-degree-of-freedom control scheme is proposed for enhanced control of unstable delay processes. The scheme is motivated by the modified Smith predictor control in [IEE Proc. Control Theory Appl. 16(5) (1999) 359] and devised to improve in the following ways: (i) one more freedom of control is introduced in our scheme to enable manipulation of disturbance transient response, and is tuned based on minimization of the integral squared error criterion; (ii) four controllers in the scheme are well placed to separately tune the denominators and numerators of closed-loop transfer functions from the set-point and disturbance. This allows easy design of each controller and good control performance for both set-point and disturbance responses. Especially, improvement of disturbance response is extremely great, compared with [IEE Proc. Control Theory Appl. 16(5) (1999) 359; Automatica 36 (2000) 1651]. Internal stability of the proposed structure is analyzed, which has not been reported in the literature on modified Smith predictor control before. Examples are provided for illustration.     

An optimal control method for linear systems with time delay

An optimal control method for linear systems with time delay is developed in this paper. In the proposed control method, the differential equation with time delay of the system dynamics is first rewritten into a form without any time delay through a particular transformation. Then, the optimal controller is designed by using the classical optimal control theory. A numerical algorithm for control implementation is presented, since the obtained expression of the optimal controller contains an integral term that is not convenient for online calculation. The time delay is considered at the very beginning of the control design, and no approximation and estimation are made in the control system. Thus the system performance and stability are prone to be guaranteed. Instability in responses might occur only if a system with time delay is controlled by the optimal controller that was designed with no consideration of time delay. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal controller is demonstrated by simulation studies.     

Analytical design of two-degree-of-freedom control scheme for open-loop unstable processes with time delay

This paper proposes an analytical two-degree-of-freedom control scheme for open-loop unstable processes with time delay, which leads to the remarkable improvement of regulatory capacity for both of reference input tracking and load disturbance rejection. Firstly a conventional proportional or plus derivative controller is deliberately employed for stabilizing the setpoint response. Then the setpoint tracking controller is analytically derived in terms of the integral-squared-error (ISE) performance specification. By proposing the desired closed-loop complementary sensitivity function for rejecting load disturbances, the corresponding controller, i.e. disturbance estimator, is inversely figured out. Hence the nominal setpoint response is decoupled from the load disturbance response by virtue of the open-loop control manner for the setpoint tracking. In consequence, both of them can be optimized simultaneously and separately. At the same time, robust stability analysis for the proposed control structure is provided in the presence of the process multiplicative uncertainty. Accordingly the on-line tuning rule for the single adjustable parameter of each controller is suggested to cope with the process unmodeled dynamics in practice. Finally, several illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method.     

Robust model predictive control of integrating time delay processes

This work focuses on the solution to the problem of model predictive control of time delay processes with both integrating and stable modes and model uncertainty. The controller is developed for the practical case of zone control and input target tracking. The method is based on a state-space model that is equivalent to the analytical form of the step response model corresponding to the system transfer function. Here, this model is extended to the time delay system. The proposed controller is evaluated through simulation of the of two control reactor systems and the results confirms the robustness of the proposed approach.     

具有时变通信延迟的多智能体系统改进蜂拥控制

针对不确定非线性二阶多智能体系统中存在的时变通信时延和未知干扰问题,提出了一种鲁棒自适应蜂拥控制规律。为了使二阶多智能体系统能够具有更好的抗干扰能力,设计了基于智能体位置状态信息和速度状态信息的鲁棒自适应算子,实现了系统在时变通信时延扰动下的分布控制。通过使用Lyapunov-Krasovskii方法构造能量函数,证明了多智能体系统的网络连通性,智能体的速度收敛于虚拟领导者的速度,并给出了具有时变通信时延的多智能体系统收敛条件。仿真实验结果表明,在不同干扰强度和不同通信时延下系统均能实现快速收敛,形成稳定的拓扑结构,证明所提方法正确有效。     

Adaptive generic model control for a class of nonlinear time-varying processes with input time delay

In this article, an adaptive control approach––Adaptive Generic Model Control (AGMC) for a class of nonlinear time-varying processes with input time delay is proposed. First, a nonlinear state predictor (NSP) is introduced, which extends the conventional generic model control (GMC) to a class of nonlinear processes with input time delay. Then a class of nonlinear time-varying processes with input time delay is further considered. A modified strong tracking filter (MSTF) is adopted to estimate the time-varying parameters of the nonlinear processes, and the state estimates are then utilized to update the plant models used in the NSP and MSTF, this results in an adaptive generic model control scheme for a class of nonlinear time-varying processes with input time delay. A modified mathematical model of a three-tank-system is used for computer simulations, the results show that the proposed AGMC algorithm is satisfactory, and it has definite robustness against model/plant mismatch in the measurement noise.     

Optimal control of non-minimum phase integrating processes with time delay using disturbance observer-based control scheme

A systematical design method of optimal control for non-minimum phase integrating processes with time delay using disturbance observer-based (DOB) control scheme is presented. All stabilising controllers and the filter of DOBs for integrating plants are developed. Then the optimal set-point tracking controller and the optimal filter of DOB are systematically derived by minimising the H₂ norm performance specifications. The proposed design method has three main advantages. First, the design procedure is systematical and simple. Specified weight functions are chosen for step inputs and inputs similar to steps. The designed set-point tracking controller and the filter of DOB are given in analytical forms. Second, the designed set-point tracking controller and the filter of the DOB are optimal. They are derived from minimising the performance indexes of set-point tracking and input load disturbance rejection (ILDR). Finally, the set-point tracking performance specification and ILDR specification can be quantitatively achieved by conveniently tuning the adjustable parameters. Numerical simulations are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Proportional-derivative controllers for stabilisation of first-order processes with time delay

This paper considers the problems of determining the complete stabilising set of proportional-derivative controllers for a first-order process with time delay. First, by employing a version of the Hermite–Biehler theorem applicable to quasi-polynomials, a complete set of all stabilising proportional-derivative parameters for first-order processes with constant time delay are obtained. Next, we provide an approach to design a robust PD controller to stabilise a first-order process with uncertain time delay, which lies inside a known interval.     

Relay based identification of processes with time delay

General analytical expressions are derived from the analysis of half cycle of the relay response curve for identification of a class of processes with time delay. Using these expressions the parameters of open loop stable, unstable and integrating transfer function models may be estimated making simple measurements on the half cycle of the oscillation. For the first time, the time delay parameter of the process model is calculated from the second derivative of the half cycle data. Models with up to four parameters can be identified by means of a single symmetrical relay experiment. The robustness of the technique is assessed against two forms of introduced error: measurement errors and load disturbances. The limit cycle data in the presence of measurement noise and load disturbance are obtained using the Fourier series based curve fitting with the options of non-linear least squares method and the resetting of the relay height, respectively. Simulation examples illustrate the effectiveness and the simplicity of the proposed method for identification of processes with time delay.     

Finite-time control for discrete-time switched systems with time delay

The problem of finite-time state feedback control is considered in this paper for a class of discrete-time switched systems with time delay. Firstly, the concepts of finite-time stability and finitetime boundedness are extended to discrete-time switched systems with time delay, respectively. Then, by resorting to the average dwell time approach and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional technology, some new delay-dependent criteria guaranteeing finite-time boundedness and stability are developed. The state feedback controller is also obtained by virtue of a cone complement linearization (CCL) method. Finally, a numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.     

Analytical decoupling control strategy using a unity feedback control structure for MIMO processes with time delays

An analytical decoupling control method is proposed for multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) processes with multiple time delays. The desired diagonal system transfer matrix is proposed first in terms of the H₂ optimal performance specification, resulting in the ideal desired decoupling controller matrix derived within the framework of a unity feedback control structure. It is demonstrated that dead-time compensators must be enclosed in the decoupling controller matrix to realize absolute decoupling for MIMO processes with multiple time delays. To alleviate the difficulties associated with the implementation, the ideal desired decoupling controller matrix is transformed into a practical form using an analytical approximation approach. Correspondingly, the stability of the resultant control system is assessed, together with its robust stability in the presence of process uncertainties. An on-line tuning rule for the single adjustable parameter of each column controllers in the decoupling controller matrix is given to cope with the process unmodeled dynamics. Finally, illustrative examples are given to show the superiority of the proposed method over the recently improved decoupling control methods.     

Global satisfactory control for nonlinear integrator processes with long delay

Integrator processes with long delay are difficult to control. Nonlinear characteristics of actuators make the control problem more challenging. A technique is proposed in this paper for global satisfactory control （GSC） of such processes with relay-type nonlinearity. An oscillatory control signal is injected into the nonlinear process; the amplitude and frequency of the oscillatory signal are designed to linearise the nonlinear process in the sense of harmonic analysis; and a state feedback controller is configured to implement GSC over the linearised process. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of     

Global satisfactory control for nonlinear integrator processes with long delay

Integrator processes with long delay are difficult to control. Nonlinear characteristics of actuators make the control problem more challenging. A technique is proposed in this paper for global satisfactory control (GSC) of such processes with relay-type nonlinearity. An oscillatory control signal is injected into the nonlinear process; the amplitude and frequency of the oscillatory signal are designed to linearise the nonlinear process in the sense of harmonic analysis; and a state feedback controller is configured to implement GSC over the linearised process. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Adaptive passive control with varying time delay

This paper presents a passive control scheme for a force reflecting bilateral teleoperation system with a varying time communication delay. To improve the stability and performance of the system, the master and slave must be coupled dynamically via a transmission network through which the force and velocity are communicated bilaterally. However, the time delay caused by various factors, such as the transmission distance, network congestion, and communication bandwidth, is a long-standing impediment to bilateral control that can destabilize the system. In this study, we investigated how a varying time delay affects the stability of a teleoperation system. A new optimal adaptive approach based on a passive control scheme was designed bilaterally for both the master and slave sites. Extra variables were transmitted together with the wave variables in the scattering system. The proposed scheme achieved both passive control, and an acceptable tracking performance. The tracking performance was demonstrated using a computer simulation of varying time delays in a bilateral teleoperation system.     

Bilateral control of teleoperators with time delay

A control law for teleoperators is presented which overcomes the instability caused by time delay. By using passivity and scattering theory, a criterion is developed which shows why existing bilateral control systems are unstable for certain environments, and why the proposed bilateral control law is stable for any environment and any time delay. The control law has been implemented on a single-axis force-reflecting hand controller, and preliminary results are shown. To keep the presentation clear, a single-degree-of-freedom (DOF) linear time-invariant (LTI) teleoperator system is discussed. Nevertheless, results can be extended, without loss of generality, to an n-DOF nonlinear teleoperation system     

Singular extremal control problem with time delay

In this article, the singular extremal control problem with time delay is studied from the viewpoint of the calculus of variation and matrix theory. Some sufficient conditions for the non-negativity of the second variation are obtained for an optimal control problem with a delayed state vector. The hypothesis of Hass is first assumed, and the total singular situation of Jacobson and Bell is also considered. A second-order necessary condition for optimality is also presented.     

An improved parallel algorithm for integer GCD

We present a simple parallel algorithm for computing the greatest common divisor (gcd) of twon-bit integers in the Common version of the CRCW model of computation. The run-time of the algorithm in terms of bit operations isO(n/logn), usingn ^1+? processors, where ? is any positive constant. This improves on the algorithm of Kannan, Miller, and Rudolph, the only sublinear algorithm known previously, both in run time and in number of processors; they requireO(n log logn/logn),n ² log² n, respectively, in the same CRCW model. We give an alternative implementation of our algorithm in the CREW model. Its run-time isO(n log logn/logn), usingn ^1+? processors. Both implementations can be modified to yield the extended gcd, within the same complexity bounds.