Output regulation of time-varying systems

In this paper the output regulation problem for linear time-varying systems is considered. Replacing the regulator equation by a regulator differential equation we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the problem to be solvable. As in the time-invariant case we first solve the output regulation problem by state feedback and obtain the required condition. Then with the aid of observers we show that the same condition solves the general problem with measurement feedback. We then consider the classes of almost periodic and periodic systems and refine the main results. A simple example of an almost periodic system and simulation results are given to illustrate the theory.     

Output regulation for linear distributed parameter systems

This work extends the geometric theory of output regulation to linear distributed parameter systems with bounded input and output operator, in the case when the reference signal and disturbances are generated by a finite dimensional exogenous system. In particular it is shown that the full state feedback and error feedback regulator problems are solvable, under the standard assumptions of stabilizability and detectability, if and only if a pair of regulator equations is solvable. For linear distributed parameter systems this represents an extension of the geometric theory of output regulation developed in Francis (1997) and Isidori and Byrnes (1990). We also provide simple criteria for solvability of the regulator equations based on the eigenvalues of the exosystem and the system transfer function. Examples are given of periodic tracking, set point control, and disturbance attenuation for parabolic systems and periodic tracking for a damped hyperbolic system     

On the solvability of the regulator equations for a class of nonlinear systems

Regulator equations arise in studying the output regulation problem for nonlinear systems. The solvability of the regulator equations is the necessary condition for that of the output regulation problem. It has been shown under various assumptions that the solvability of the regulator equations can be reduced to that of a center manifold equation defined by the zero dynamics of a composite system consisting of the plant and exosystem. In this paper we further show that, for a quite general class of nonlinear systems, the solvability of the regulator equations can be reduced to that of a center manifold equation if the relative degree of the composite system at the origin exists.     

Difference games with periodic information structures with application to the worst case design of regulators†

Nash equilibrium strategies of general linear-quadratic two-player difference games with two kinds of periodic information structures are considered. Solution algorithms are developed for problems where the players' information is of periodic open-loop or periodic open-closed type. In the former case the players receive measurements of the state periodically only at the beginning of each interval and in the latter case one of the players has a perfect memory information of the state within each period. The solutions are obtained by recursive algorithms where a series of coupled difference equations of Riccati type are solved repeatedly and where the boundary values of these equations are determined by similar difference equations. A new game theoretic worst case design method based on games with periodic open-closed information structure is then proposed and applied to the design of a state regulator for a pilot process. The results obtained in the example suggest that this new approach can be successfully employed in practical design problems.     

Global nonlinear output regulation: Convergence-based controller design

In this paper we present output-feedback controllers solving the global output regulation problem for a class of nonlinear systems. The proposed controllers are based on the notion of convergent systems. The presented solution extends well-established results on the linear output regulation problem and the local nonlinear output regulation problem to the global case. For Lur’e systems, which are not necessarily in the output-feedback form, the proposed controllers can be found by solving the regulator equations and certain linear matrix inequalities. For systems in the output-feedback form with uncertain parameters and uncertain nonlinearities we provide a robust regulator that does not rely on the minimum phaseness assumption on the system, which is crucial in the previous regulator designs for output-feedback systems. The results are illustrated by examples.     

An averaging approach to chattering

The singularly perturbed relay control systems (SPRCS) as mathematical models of chattering in the small neighborhood of the switching surface in sliding mode systems are examined. Sufficient conditions for existence and stability of fast periodic solutions to the SPRCS are found. It is shown that the slow motions in such SPRCS are approximately described by equations derived from equations for the slow variables of SPRCS by averaging along fast periodic motions. It is shown that In the general case, when the equations of a plant contain relay control nonlinearly, the averaged equations do not coincide with the equivalent control equations or with the Filippov's definition (1988) for the sliding motions in the reduced system; however, in the linear case, they coincide     

On a general optimal algorithm for multirate output feedbackcontrollers for linear stochastic periodic systems

A modified optimal algorithm for multirate output feedback controllers of linear stochastic periodic systems is developed. By combining the discrete-time linear quadratic regulation (LQR) control problem and the discrete-time stochastic linear quadratic regulation (SLQR) control problem to obtain an extended linear quadratic regulation (ELQR) control problem, one derives a general optimal algorithm to balance the advantages of the optimal transient response of the LQR control problem and the optimal steady-state regulation of the SLQR control problem. In general, the solution of this algorithm is obtained by solving a set of coupled matrix equations. Special cases for which the coupled matrix equations can be reduced to a discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation are discussed. A reducable case is the optimal algorithm derived by H.M. Al-Rahmani and G.F. Franklin (1990), where the system has complete state information and the discrete-time quadratic performance index is transformed from a continuous-time one     

Balancing related methods for minimal realization of periodic systems

We propose balancing related numerically reliable methods to compute minimal realizations of linear periodic systems with time-varying dimensions. The first method belongs to the family of square-root methods with guaranteed enhanced computational accuracy and can be used to compute balanced minimal order realizations. An alternative balancing-free square-root method has the advantage of a potentially better numerical accuracy in case of poorly scaled original systems. The key numerical computation in both methods is the solution of nonnegative periodic Lyapunov equations directly for the Cholesky factors of the solutions. For this purpose, a numerically reliable computational algorithm is proposed to solve nonnegative periodic Lyapunov equations with time-varying dimensions.     

Output regulation of periodic signals for DPS: an infinite-dimensional signal Generator

In this note, we consider output regulation and disturbance rejection of periodic signals via state feedback in the setting of exponentially stabilizable linear infinite-dimensional systems. We show that if an infinite-dimensional exogenous system is generating periodic reference signals, solvability of the state feedback regulation problem is equivalent to solvability of the so called equations. This result allows us to consider asymptotic tracking of periodic reference signals which only have absolutely summable Fourier coefficients, while in related existing work the reference signals are confined to be infinitely smooth. We also discuss solution of the regulator equations and construct the actual feedback law to achieve output regulation in the single-input-single-output (SISO) case: The output regulation problem is solvable if the transfer function of the stabilized plant does not have zeros at the frequencies i/spl omega//sub n/ of the periodic reference signals and if the sequence ([CR(i/spl omega//sub n/, A+BK)B]/sup -1/ /spl times/(Q/spl phi//sub n/-CR(i/spl omega//sub n/, A+BK)P/spl phi//sub n/)) /sub n/spl isin/z//spl isin/l/sup n2/. A one-dimensional heat equation is used as an illustrative example.     

Optimal infinite-horizon control and the stabilization of linear discrete-time systems: State-control constraints and nonquadratic cost functions

Stability results are given for a class of feedback systems arising from the regulation of time-invariant, discrete-time linear systems using optimal infinite-horizon control laws. The class is characterized by joint constraints on the state and the control and a general nonlinear cost function. It is shown that weak conditions on the cost function and the constraints are sufficient to guarantee asymptotic stability of the optimal feedback systems. Prior results, which concern the linear quadratic regulator problem, are included as a special case. The proofs make no use of discrete-time Riccati equations and linearity of the feedback law, hence, they are intrinsically different from past proofs.     

Boundary feedback control in networks of open channels

This article deals with the regulation of water flow in open-channels modelled by Saint-Venant equations. By means of a Riemann invariants approach, we deduce stabilizing control laws for a single horizontal reach without friction. The stability condition is extended to a general class of hyperbolic systems which can describe canal networks with more general topologies. A control law design based on this condition is illustrated with a simple case study: two reaches in cascade. The proof of the main stability theorem is based on a previous result from Li Ta-tsien concerning the existence and decay of classical solutions of hyperbolic systems.     

Fixed-time output regulation of linear delay systems by smooth time-varying control

This article investigates the fixed-time output regulation problem (FxTORP) for linear systems in the presence of input delay. A linear controller consisting of the linear periodic delayed feedback (PDF) gain and the feedforward gain obtained by solving regulator equations is designed, such that FxTORP is addressed. If only the measurable output can be used for feedback, a linear observer with periodic coefficient and artificial delay is designed so that its state converges to the state of the augmented system at a prescribed finite time. Based on the estimated state, the output regulation problem can also be solved by using observer-based output feedback. The most significant advantages of this article are that the PDF gain can be taken as smooth and the output regulation problem is achieved within a prespecified regulation time. Finally, a simulation example is given to substantiate the validity of the proposed approaches.     

Robust output regulation of singular nonlinear systems via a nonlinear internal model

The robust output regulation problem for singular nonlinear systems has been studied recently under a restrictive assumption that the solution of the regulator equations is polynomial. This assumption essentially limits the nonlinear systems to contain only polynomial nonlinearities. In this note, we will further show that the polynomial assumption can be replaced by a much milder condition. The new condition applies to a larger class of nonpolynomial nonlinear systems, thus significantly improving the existing result.     

Analysis of an iterative scheme for approximate regulation for nonlinear systems

This paper concerns the analysis of an iterative scheme delivering approximate control laws for the tracking regulation problems for nonlinear systems. The procedure can be applied to finite‐ and infinite‐dimensional systems, and the underlying methodology derives from the geometric methods, which have been developed for both linear and nonlinear systems. In the nonlinear case, the main tool is the center manifold theorem. Indeed, in the geometric methodology, under the assumption that the signals to be tracked are generated by a finite‐dimensional exo‐system, the desired control is obtained by solving a pair of operator equations called the regulator equations. In this paper, we extend the concept of regulator equations to what we refer to as the dynamic regulator equations. Just as it is generally quite difficult to solve the regulator equations, it can be equally difficult to solve the dynamic regulator equations. As the authors have already shown in the linear case, a straightforward attempt to solve the dynamic regulator equations leads to a singular system, which can be regularized to obtain an iterative scheme that provides approximate control laws that provide accurate tracking with very a small tracking error after only a couple of iterations. In this paper, we generalize the iterative scheme to nonlinear systems and provide error estimates for the first 3 iterations. Both finite‐ and infinite‐dimensional examples are given to validate the estimates. We comment that the method has also been applied to a wide range of nonlinear distributed parameter examples described in the references.     

Frequency-domain L 2-stability conditions for switched linear and nonlinear SISO systems

We consider the L ₂-stability analysis of single-input–single-output (SISO) systems with periodic and nonperiodic switching gains and described by integral equations that can be specialised to the form of standard differential equations. For the latter, stability literature is mostly based on the application of quadratic forms as Lyapunov-function candidates which lead, in general, to conservative results. Exceptions are some recent results, especially for second-order linear differential equations, obtained by trajectory control or optimisation to arrive at the worst-case switching sequence of the gain. In contrast, we employ a non-Lyapunov framework to derive L ₂-stability conditions for a class of (linear and) nonlinear SISO systems in integral form, with monotone, odd-monotone and relaxed monotone nonlinearities, and, in each case, with periodic or nonperiodic switching gains. The derived frequency-domain results are reminiscent of (i) the Nyquist criterion for linear time-invariant feedback systems and (ii) the Popov-criterion for time-invariant nonlinear feedback systems with the Lur'e-type nonlinearity. Although overlapping with some recent results of the literature for periodic gains, they have been derived independently in essentially the Popov framework, are different for certain classes of nonlinearities and address some of the questions left open, with respect to, for instance, the synthesis of the multipliers and numerical interpretation of the results. Apart from the novelty of the results as applied to the dwell-time problem, they reveal an interesting phenomenon of the switched systems: fast switching can lead to stability, thereby providing an alternative framework for vibrational stability analysis.     

Semi-global robust output regulation of minimum-phase nonlinear systems based on high-gain nonlinear internal model

We consider the assumption of existence of the general nonlinear internal model that is introduced in the design of robust output regulators for a class of minimum-phase nonlinear systems with rth degree (r ≥ 2). The robust output regulation problem can be converted into a robust stabilisation problem of an augmented system consisting of the given plant and a high-gain nonlinear internal model, perfectly reproducing the bounded including not only periodic but also nonperiodic exogenous signal from a nonlinear system, which satisfies some general immersion assumption. The state feedback controller is designed to guarantee the asymptotic convergence of system errors to zero manifold. Furthermore, the proposed scheme makes use of output feedback dynamic controller that only processes information from the regulated output error by using high-gain observer to robustly estimate the derivatives of the regulated output error. The stabilisation analysis of the resulting closed-loop systems leads to regional as well as semi-global robust output regulation achieved for some appointed initial condition in the state space, for all possible values of the uncertain parameter vector and the exogenous signal, ranging over an arbitrary compact set.     

Alternative Method of Solution of the Regulator Equation: L2‐Space Approach

An alternative method for the proof of solvability of the differential equation that is a part of the regulator equation which arises from the solution of the output regulation problem. The proof uses the L²‐space based theory of solutions of partial differential equations for the case of the linear output regulation problem. In the nonlinear case, a sequence of linear equations is defined so that their solutions converge to the solution of the nonlinear problem. This is proved using the Banach Contraction Theorem. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

Output regulation problem for a class of regular hyperbolic systems

This paper investigates the output regulation problem for a class of regular first-order hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) systems. A state feedback and an error feedback regulator are considered to force the output of the hyperbolic PDE plant to track a periodic reference trajectory generated by a neutrally stable exosystem. A new explanation is given to extend the results in the literature to solve the regulation problem associated with the first-order hyperbolic PDE systems. Moreover, in order to provide the closed-loop stability condition for the solvability of the regulator problems, the design of stabilising feedback gain and its dual problem design of stabilising output injection gain are considered in this paper. This paper develops an easy method to obtain an adjustable stabilising feedback gain and stabilising output injection gain with the aid of the operator Riccati equation.     

State representations of linear systems with output constraints

We derive state space representations for linear systems that are described by input/state/output equations and that are subjected to a number of constant linear constraints on the outputs. In the case of a general linear system, the state representation of the constrained system is shown to be essentially nonunique. For linear Hamiltonian systems satisfying a nondegeneracy condition, there is a natural and unique choice of the representation which preserves the Hamiltonian structure. In the linear systems setting we give an algebraic proof that a system withn degrees of freedom underk constraints becomes a system withn−k degree of freedom. Similar results are obtained for linear gradient systems.     

Riccati differential equation in optimal filtering of periodic non-stabilizable systems

This paper discusses the periodic solutions of the matrix Riccati differential equation in the optimal filtering of periodic systems. Special emphasis is given to non-stabilizable systems and the question addressed is the existence and uniqueness of a steady-state periodic non-negative definite solution of the periodic Riccati differential equation which gives rise to an asymptotically stable steady-state filter. The results presented show that the stabilizability is not a necessary condition for the existence of such a periodic solution. The convergence of the general solution of the periodic Riccati differential equation to a periodic equilibrium solution is also investigated. The results are extensions of existing time-invariant systems results to the case of periodic systems