Constrained output feedback model predictive control for nonlinear systems

A constrained output feedback model predictive control approach for nonlinear systems is presented in this paper. The state variables are observed using an unscented Kalman filter, which offers some advantages over an extended Kalman filter. A nonlinear dynamic model of the system, considered in this investigation, is developed considering all possible effective elements. The model is then adaptively linearized along the prediction horizon using a state-dependent state space representation. In order to improve the performance of the control system as many linearized models as the number of prediction horizons are obtained at each sample time. The optimum results of the previous sample time are utilized for linearization at the current sample time. Subsequently, a linear quadratic objective function with constraints is formulated using the developed governing equations of the plant. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed control approach is validated both in simulation and through real-time experimentation using a constrained highly nonlinear aerodynamic test rig, a twin rotor MIMO system (TRMS).     

Experimental application of nonlinear model predictive control: temperature control of an industrial semi-batch pilot-plant reactor

This paper describes the application of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) to the temperature control of a semi-batch chemical reactor equipped with a multi-fluid heating/cooling system. The strategy of the nonlinear control system is based on a constrained optimisation problem, which is solved repeatedly on-line by a step-wise integration of a nonlinear dynamic model and optimisation strategy. A supervisory control routine has been developed, based on the same nonlinear dynamic model, to handle automatically the fluid changeovers. Both NMPC and supervisory control have been implemented on a PC and applied to a 16 l batch reactor pilot plant. Experiments illustrate the feasibility of such a procedure involving predictive control and supervisory control.     

Efficient scheduled stabilizing output feedback model predictive control for constrained nonlinear systems

In this note, we present a computationally efficient scheduled output feedback model predictive control (MPC) algorithm for constrained nonlinear systems with large operating regions. We design a set of local output feedback predictive controllers with their estimated regions of stability covering the desired operating region, and implement them as a single scheduled output feedback MPC which on-line switches between the set of local controllers and achieves nonlinear transitions with guaranteed stability. The algorithm is illustrated with a highly nonlinear continuous stirred tank reactor process.     

Robust output feedback tracking control for a class of perturbed systems using NDOB and nonlinear continuous predictive control

This paper presents a new robust output feedback tracking control scheme for a class of higher-order uncertain systems. Since traditional nonlinear continuous predictive control requires accurate system model as well as full system states to synthesize a controller, a composite control methodology is adopted in the proposed scheme. Specifically, the nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB) is used to estimate the lumped uncertainty and the unmeasured system states in an integrated manner while the nonlinear continuous predictive control regulates the system states to track the desired reference signal asymptotically. Detailed stability analysis is also presented for the closed-loop nonlinear observer-controller structure through two steps. Then, the obtained results are applied to missile autopilot design to track the desired angle-of-attack signal. Finally, numerical simulations with some comparisons are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed formulation.     

Dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control

The synthesis approach for dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control is considered. The notion of quadratic boundedness is utilised to characterise the stability properties of the augmented closed-loop system. A finite horizon performance cost, which corresponds to the worst case of both the polytopic uncertainty and the bounded disturbance/noise, is utilised. It is not required to specify the horizon length. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.     

Stabilization of an unstable tubular reactor by nonlinear passive output feedback control

The multiple–input multiple–output (MIMO) output feedback (OF) control problem of an exothermic multi-jacket tubular open-loop unstable reactor is addressed. Over its axial length, the reactor has several equally sized cooling jackets. The controller must adjust the jacket temperatures on the basis of per jacket temperature measurements so that the closed-loop system is robustly stable. The problem is solved within a constructive framework, by combining notions and tools from chemical reactor engineering and partial differential equations (PDEs) control systems theory. The result is a MIMO nonlinear OF dynamic control design with (i) a decentralized MIMO passive state feedback (SF) controller implemented with a pointwise observer (PWO), (ii) closed-loop stability conditions in terms of sensor set and control gains, and (iii) efficient late lumping-based on-line implementation. The design is put in perspective with industrial PI and inventory control, and applied to a representative example through numerical simulation with favorable comparison against adaptive controllers.     

Adaptive neural output feedback tracking control for a class of nonlinear systems

In this paper, an adaptive neural output feedback control scheme based on backstepping technique and dynamic surface control (DSC) approach is developed to solve the tracking control problem for a class of nonlinear systems with unmeasurable states. Firstly, a nonlinear state observer is designed to estimate the unmeasurable states. Secondly, in the controller design process, radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) are utilised to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions, and then a novel adaptive neural output feedback tracking control scheme is developed via backstepping technique and DSC approach. It is shown that the proposed controller ensures that all signals of the closed-loop system remain bounded and the tracking error converges to a small neighbourhood around the origin. Finally, two numerical examples and one realistic example are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design approach.     

A framework for design of scheduled output feedback model predictive control

We present a stabilizing scheduled output feedback Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for constrained nonlinear systems with large operating regions. We design a set of local output feedback predictive controllers with their estimated regions of stability covering the desired operating region, and implement them as a single scheduled output feedback MPC which on-line switches between the set of local controllers and achieves nonlinear transitions with guaranteed stability. This algorithm provides a general framework for scheduled output feedback MPC design.     

A note on stability, robustness and performance of output feedback nonlinear model predictive control

In recent years, nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) schemes have been derived that guarantee stability of the closed loop under the assumption of full state information. However, only limited advances have been made with respect to output feedback in the framework of nonlinear predictive control. This paper combines stabilizing instantaneous state feedback NMPC schemes with high-gain observers to achieve output feedback stabilization. For a uniformly observable MIMO system class it is shown that the resulting closed loop is asymptotically stable. Furthermore, the output feedback NMPC scheme recovers the performance of the state feedback in the sense that the region of attraction and the trajectories of the state feedback scheme can be recovered to any degree of accuracy for large enough observer gains, thus leading to semi-regional results. Additionally, it is shown that the output feedback controller is robust with respect to static sector bounded nonlinear input uncertainties.     

一种跟踪问题中的次优非线性预测控制算法

针对跟踪问题中无状态和输入约束的非线性预测控制最优解的求取问题,引入参考输入轨迹的概念,利用Ｓｔｉｒｌｉｎｇ插值公式,将非线性系统模型沿参考输入输出轨迹展开,取其一阶近似,处理成参数已知的线性模型．在此基础上,利用线性系统预测控制理论求解得到原系统的次优控制律．该方法不要求系统模型连续可导,且无需对线性化后的模型参数进行在线辨识,计算量小,易于实现．     

Application of nonlinear model predictive control to an industrial induction heating furnace

Induction Heating Furnaces are used extensively in industry. The basic principle is that induced eddy currents are used to heat a ferromagnetic material as it passes through a series of coils. Because of the importance of such systems, there has been on-going interest in their design and operation. Past work includes model development from physical principles and optimal design of operational practices. However, previous work has invariably been based on open-loop strategies. Our work is aimed at the design of a closed-loop control strategy incorporating feedback from the available measurements. This paper reports initial work including model development and calibration together with preliminary control system design. Proposed future work includes full scale industrial implementation.     

Robust output feedback model predictive control of constrained linear systems

This paper provides a solution to the problem of robust output feedback model predictive control of constrained, linear, discrete-time systems in the presence of bounded state and output disturbances. The proposed output feedback controller consists of a simple, stable Luenberger state estimator and a recently developed, robustly stabilizing, tube-based, model predictive controller. The state estimation error is bounded by an invariant set. The tube-based controller ensures that all possible realizations of the state trajectory lie in a simple uncertainty tube the ‘center’ of which is the solution of a nominal (disturbance-free) system and the ‘cross-section’ of which is also invariant. Satisfaction of the state and input constraints for the original system is guaranteed by employing tighter constraint sets for the nominal system. The complexity of the resultant controller is similar to that required for nominal model predictive control.     

Convex output feedback model predictive control for mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic

In this paper, a model predictive control approach is proposed for epidemic mitigation. The disease spreading dynamics is described by an 8-compartment smooth nonlinear model of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary known from the literature, where the manipulable control input is the stringency of the introduced non-pharmaceutical measures. It is assumed that only the number of hospitalized people is measured on-line, and the other state variables are computed using a state observer which is based on the dynamic inversion of a linear sub-system of the model. The objective function contains a measure of the direct harmful consequences of the restrictions, and the constraints refer to input bounds and to the capacity of the healthcare system. By exploiting the special properties of the model, the nonlinear optimization problem required by the control design is reformulated to convex tasks, allowing a computationally efficient solution. Two approaches are proposed: the first finds a suboptimal solution by geometric programming, while the second one further simplifies the problem and transforms it to a linear programming task. Simulations show that both suboptimal solutions fulfill the design specifications even in the presence of parameter uncertainties.     

Adaptive output feedback tracking control of stochastic nonlinear systems with dynamic uncertainties

In this paper, adaptive output feedback tracking control is developed for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems with dynamic uncertainties and unmeasured states. Neural networks are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. K‐filters are designed to estimate the unmeasured states. An available dynamic signal is introduced to dominate the unmodeled dynamics. By combining dynamic surface control technique with backstepping, the condition in which the approximation error is assumed to be bounded is avoided. Using It ô formula and Chebyshev's inequality, it is shown that all signals in the closed‐loop system are bounded in probability, and the error signals are semi‐globally uniformly ultimately bounded in mean square or the sense of four‐moment. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Constrained robust model predictive control via parameter-dependent dynamic output feedback

This paper considers output feedback robust model predictive control for the quasi-linear parameter varying (quasi-LPV) system with bounded disturbance. The so-called quasi-LPV means that the varying parameters of the linear system are known at the current time, but unknown in the future. The control law is parameterized as a parameter-dependent dynamic output feedback, and the closed-loop stability is specified by the notion of quadratic boundedness. An iterative algorithm is proposed for the on-line synthesis of the control law via convex optimization. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the controller.     

Off-line approach to dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control

This paper presents an off-line approach to the dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control (OFRMPC) for a system with both polytopic uncertainty and bounded disturbance. For the off-line optimization, a sequence of controller parameters and the corresponding regions of attraction are calculated for all combinations of the pre-specified estimated states and estimation error sets (EESs). These controller parameters and the corresponding regions of attraction are stored in a look-up table. On-line, the controller parameters are searched in this look-up table corresponding to real-time EES, and to the region of attraction with the closest containment of real-time estimated state. This method considerably reduces the on-line computational burden. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.     

A comparison of nonlinear observers for output feedback model-based control of seeded batch crystallization processes

This paper presents a comparative analysis of various nonlinear estimation techniques when applied for output feedback model-based control of batch crystallization processes. Several nonlinear observers, namely an extended Luenberger observer, an extended Kalman filter, an unscented Kalman filter, an ensemble Kalman filer and a moving horizon estimator are used for closed-loop control of a semi-industrial fed-batch crystallizer. The performance of the nonlinear observers is evaluated in terms of their closed-loop behavior as well as their ability to cope with model imperfections and process uncertainties such as measurement errors and uncertain initial conditions. The simulation results suggest that the extended Kalman filter and the unscented Kalman filter provide accurate state estimates that ensure adequate fulfillment of the control objective. The results also confirm that adopting a time-varying process noise covariance matrix further enhances the estimation accuracy of the latter observers at the expense of a slight increase in their computational burden. This tuning method is particularly suited for batch processes as the state variables often vary significantly along the batch run. It is observed that model imperfections and process uncertainties are largely detrimental to the accuracy of state estimates. The degradation in the closed-loop control performance arisen from inadequate state estimation is effectively suppressed by the inclusion of a disturbance model into the observers.     

Robust tracking control for a class of MIMO nonlinear systems with measurable output feedback

This paper proposes a robust output feedback controller for a class of nonlinear systems to track a desired trajectory. Our main goal is to ensure the global input-to-state stability (ISS) property of the tracking error nonlinear dynamics with respect to the unknown structural system uncertainties and external disturbances. Our approach consists of constructing a nonlinear observer to reconstruct the unavailable states, and then designing a discontinuous controller using a back-stepping like design procedure to ensure the ISS property. The observer design is realized through state transformation and there is only one parameter to be determined. Through solving a Hamilton–Jacoby inequality, the nonlinear control law for the first subsystem specifies a nonlinear switching surface. By virtue of nonlinear control for the first subsystem, the resulting sliding manifold in the sliding phase possesses the desired ISS property and to certain extent the optimality. Associated with the new switching surface, the sliding mode control is applied to the second subsystem to accomplish the tracking task. As a result, the tracking error is bounded and the ISS property of the whole system can be ensured while the internal stability is also achieved. Finally, an example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不确定广义系统的输出反馈鲁棒预测控制

针对一类具有范数有界不确定性的广义系统,当系统状态不可测时,提出了一种基于输出反馈的鲁棒预测控制器综合算法．采用ＬＭＩ方法以及变量变换思想,将无限时域“最小最大”优化问题转化为线性规划问题．确定出一组分段连续的输出反馈控制序列,给出了输出反馈控制律存在的充分条件,证明了优化问题在初始时刻的可行解可以保证广义闭环系统是渐近稳定且正则无脉冲的．仿真实例验证了所提出方法的有效性．