基于资源配置混杂Petri网的混杂系统生产过程建模

为了增强混杂Ｐｅｔｒｉ网解决资源共享和资源冲突的能力,定义一种新的混杂Ｐｅｔｒｉ网模型———资源配置混杂Ｐｅｔｒｉ网,提出了相应的使能和激发规则．将对连续变迁和离散变迁的控制作用引入混杂Ｐｅｔｒｉ网,同时,增加了资源配置变迁和资源释放变迁,用于有效分配可重复利用的资源．以典型的混杂生产过程为例,研究混杂系统生产过程建模．研究结果表明,所定义的模型描述能力强,模型语义正确合理,能够有效描述和分析混杂系统生产过程．     

Hybrid heuristic search approach for deadlock-free scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems using Petri nets

Based on the Petri net models of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), this paper focuses on deadlock-free scheduling problem with the objective of minimizing the makespan. Two hybrid heuristic search algorithms for solving such scheduling problems of FMSs are proposed. To avoid deadlocks, the deadlock control policy is embedded into heuristic search strategies. The proposed algorithms combine the heuristic best-first strategy with the controlled backtracking strategy based on the execution of the Petri nets. The scheduling problem is transformed into a heuristic search problem in the reachability graph of the Petri net, and a schedule is a transition sequence from the initial marking to the final marking in the reachability graph. By using the one-step look-ahead method in the deadlock control policy, the safety of a state in the reachability graph is checked, and hence, deadlock is avoided. Experimental results are provided and indicate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid heuristic search algorithms in solving deadlock-free scheduling problems of FMSs. Especially, the comparison against previous work shows that both new algorithms are promising in terms of solution quality and computing times.     

基于一阶混杂Petri网的柔性制造系统粗糙控制

研究基于一阶混杂Petri网模型的柔性制造系统粗糙控制.为构造正确的一阶混杂Petri网模型行为演变图,提出了确定改变Macro状态事件的新方法;进而给出了柔性制造系统优化与控制算法,并基于粗糙集合理论和所给出的算法,提出了柔性制造系统的粗糙控制方法.最后通过一个实例验证了该方法的有效性.     

Decomposition of Petri nets

The problem of splitting any given Petri net into functional subnets is considered. The properties of functional subnets and sets that induce them are investigated. An algorithm of polynomial complexity is constructed for decomposition of nets.Translated from Kibernetika i Sistemnyi Analiz, No. 5, pp. 131–140, September–October 2004.     

线性定常系统的Petri网解耦控制

将Petri网与现代控制理论相结合,应用于连续系统的性能分析如可控性、可观性和稳定性等已日益普遍,但Petri网应用于系统的解耦控制研究很少.提出了广义连续自控网系统的形式化定义,描述了线性定常系统的广义连续自控网系统模型并分析了广义连续自控网系统模型与状态空间描述的等效性.基于状态反馈动态解耦的基本原理,探讨了利用Petri网模型结构实现线性定常系统解耦控制的新方法.该方法采用图的遍历算法,可有效的判断系统的可解耦性以及实现解耦控制律,避免了传统解耦控制方法中计算所需的大量矩阵运算.最后给出了两个具体的应用实例.     

基于一种新型混杂Petri网的混杂系统建模与控制

为了增强混杂Petri网模型描述能力和克服一阶混杂Petri网模型语义错误的问题,定义一种新的混杂Petri网模型——广义混杂Petri网,提出了相应的迁移使能和迁移引发语义．通过划分标识等价类提出了广义混杂Petri网连续迁移瞬时引发速率的有效求解方法和模型行为演变分析方法．给出了广义混杂Petri网模型的混杂系统建模实例,同时结合模型行为演变和线性规划实现了混杂系统的优化控制．研究结果表明,所定义的模型描述能力更强,模型语义正确合理．能够有效描述和分析混杂系统．     

Optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors for automated manufacturing systems

Deadlock avoidance problems are investigated for automated manufacturing systems with flexible routings. Based on the Petri net models of the systems, this paper proposes, for the first time, the concept of perfect maximal resource-transition circuits and their saturated states. The concept facilitates the development of system liveness characterization and deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors. Deadlock is characterized as some perfect maximal resource-transition circuits reaching their saturated states. For a large class of manufacturing systems, which do not contain center resources, the optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors are presented. For a general manufacturing system, a method is proposed for reducing the system Petri net model so that the reduced model does not contain center resources and, hence, has optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisor. The controlled reduced Petri net model can then be used as the liveness supervisor of the system.     

Optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors for automated manufacturing systems

Deadlock avoidance problems are investigated for automated manufacturing systems with flexible routings. Based on the Petri net models of the systems, this paper proposes, for the first time, the concept of perfect maximal resourcetransition circuits and their saturated states. The concept facilities the development of system liveness characterization and deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors. Deadlock is characterized as some perfect maximal resource-transition circuits reach their saturated states. For a large class of manufacturing systems, which do not contain center resources, the optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors are presented. For an general manufacturing system, a method is proposed for reducing the system Petri net model so that the reduced model does not contain center resources and, hence, has optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisor. The controlled reduced Petri net model can then be used as the liveness supervisor of the system.     

Deadlock-free scheduling for flexible manufacturing systems using Petri nets and heuristic search

Deadlock-free control and scheduling are two different problems for flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). They are significant for improving the behaviors of the systems. Based on the Petri net models of FMSs, this paper embeds deadlock control policies into heuristic search algorithm, and proposes a deadlock-free scheduling algorithm to minimize makespan for FMSs. Scheduling is performed as heuristic search in the reachability graph of the Petri net. The searching process is guided by a heuristic function based on firing count vectors of state equation for the Petri net. By using the one-step look-ahead method in the optimal deadlock control policy, the safety of a state is checked. Experimental results are provided to show effectiveness of the proposed heuristic search approach in deadlock-free scheduling for FMSs.     

基于混杂Petri网的液位控制系统仿真研究

针对工业生产中液位控制具有连续变量和离散变量共存这一复杂性,提出建立一种基于Petri网的水箱液位系统运行的混杂状态变换模型,用以分析单容、双容水箱液位等工业系统在运行过程中的多重状态及其转换关系.在Matlab/Simulink环境下,设计实现了单容、双容水箱液位混杂系统的仿真控制模型.仿真实验结果表明,该混杂模型及控制策略符合液位系统实际运行要求;采用混杂Petri进行建模分析,能较全面地描述液位系统中物理量间的并发及混杂现象,模型具有较好的封装性和可实现性,设计方法简便、有效.     

Model and control holonic manufacturing systems based on fusion of contract nets and Petri nets

Holonic manufacturing systems (HMS) can be modeled as multi-agent systems to which contract net protocol can be effectively and robustly applied. However, the lack of analysis capability of contract nets makes it difficult to avoid undesirable states such as deadlocks in HMS. This paper presents a framework to model and control HMS based on fusion of Petri net and multi-agent system theory. The main results include: (1) a multi-agent model and a collaboration process to form commitment graphs in HMS based on contract net protocol, (2) a procedure to convert commitment graph to collaborative Petri net (CPN), and (3) feasible conditions and collaborative algorithms to award contracts in HMS based on CPNs.     

Automated synthesis of hybrid Petri net models for robotic cells in the aircraft industry

The use of robots in the aircraft structural assembly is a challenge. The presence of human operators, auxiliary systems and industrial robots makes hybrid the dynamic behavior of a robotic cell in this context. Here, the focus is on the automated synthesis of a model for the sequencing of the activities of a robotic cell in the aircraft industry. The cell model is obtained from a simple specification of resources and tasks, considered the main cell components, running the algorithm presented in this paper. The effectiveness of the model is shown using a case study defined by the ongoing European project LOCOMACHS (LOw COst Manufacturing and Assembly of Composite and Hybrid Structures, http://www.locomachs.eu/).     

Fault tolerant control design via hybrid petri nets

This paper proposes a novel fault tolerant control (FTC) scheme for hybrid systems modeled by hybrid Petri nets (HPNs). The HPNs model consists of discrete and continuous PNs. The faults are represented by unobservable discrete transitions or the normal observable discrete transitions with abnormal firing time in discrete PNs. First, an observer‐based fault diagnosis method is proposed to estimate the marking in discrete places with unknown initial marking and diagnose the faulty behavior simultaneously. Then, an adaptive fault tolerant controller is designed to maintain the general mutual exclusion constraints (GMEC) of discrete PNs, and a scheme that adjusts firing speeds of continuous transitions is provided to maintain the optimality of continuous PNs. Finally, an example of an intelligent transportation system consisting of automated vehicles on a bridge is included to demonstrate the effectiveness of our developed techniques. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

On the receding horizon hierarchical optimal control of manufacturing systems

This paper concerns the development of a hierarchical framework for the integrated planning and scheduling of a class of manufacturing systems. In this framework, dynamic optimization plays an important role in order to define control strategies that, by taking into account the dynamic nature of these systems, minimize customized cost functionals subject to state and control constraints. The proposed architecture is composed of a set of hierarchical levels where a two-way information flow, assuming the form of a state feedback control, is obtained through a receding horizon control scheme. The averaging effect of the receding horizon control scheme enables this deterministic approach to handle random and unexpected events at all levels of the hierarchy. At a given level, production targets to the subsystems immediately below are defined by solving appropriate optimal control problems. Efficient iterative algorithms based on optimality conditions are used to yield control strategies in the form of production rates for the various subsystems. At the lower level, this control strategy is further refined in such a way that all sequences of operations are fully specified. The minimum cost sensitivity information provided in the optimal control formulation supports a mechanism, based on the notion of a critical machine, which plays an important role in the exploitation of the available flexibility. Finally, an important point to note is that our approach is particularly suited to further integration of the production system into a larger supply chain management framework, which is well supported by recent developments in hybrid systems theory.     

Methods for behavior descriptions of structure-complex Petri nets

Petri net language is a powerful tool for describing dynamic behaviors of physical systems. However, it is not easy to obtain the language expression for a given Petri net especially a structure-complex net. In this paper, we first analyze the behaviors of S-nets, which are structure-simple. With the decomposition method based on a given index function on the place set, a given structure-complex Petri net can be decomposed into a set of structure-simple S-nets. With the language relationships between the original system and the decomposed subnets, an algorithm to obtain the language expression of a given structure-complex net system is presented, which benefits the analysis of physical systems based on the Petri net language.     

A three-level knowledge-based system for the generation of live and safe Petri nets for manufacturing systems

New generation manufacturing systems are involved in a transformation process which aims for more reliable production processes and with a lower response time to the demand of the market. This work presents an application of artificial intelligence planning techniques for the automatic generation of the control program for a manufacturing system expressed as a safe and live Petri net. The advantage of the system presented here is straightforward: it allows for a fast generation of sound results free of human errors, reducing the cost and duration of the development phase of control programs.     

Decentralised control of continuous Petri nets

This paper focuses on decentralised control of systems modelled by continuous Petri nets, in which a target marking control problem is discussed. In some previous works, an efficient ON/OFF strategy-based minimum-time controller was developed. Nevertheless, the convergence is only proved for subclasses like Choice-Free nets. For a general net, the pre-conditions of applying the ON/OFF strategy are not given; therefore, the application scope of the method is unclear. In this work, we provide two sufficient conditions of applying the ON/OFF strategy-based controller to general nets. Furthermore, an extended algorithm for general nets is proposed, in which control laws are computed based on some limited information, without knowing the detailed structure of subsystems.     

Virtual prototyping of automated manufacturing systems with Geometry-driven Petri nets

The design process of automated manufacturing systems typically involves physical prototypes to validate the interactions between hardware and software components. However, physical prototyping is expensive and time consuming, which often leads to insufficient opportunities for testing early during the development cycle. Our objective is to improve this situation by providing a method to develop realistic prototypes using virtual reality technology that can be applied during earlier development stages. Our approach combines a virtual reality engine capable of enacting the laws of rigid body physics with a new hybrid software modelling language to control the simulated hardware using virtual sensors and actuators as they would be present in a physical prototype. The new modelling language is called Geometry-driven Petri nets (GPN) and combines a class of timed, high-level Petri nets with data structures used in state-of-the-art VR environments. This article describes the new GPN approach, applies it to a case study of an automated manufacturing line, and compares it with related approaches.     

Control design of timed continuous Petri nets via model predictive constant control

This paper addresses the problem of control design for timed continuous Petri net (TCPN) systems. The problem is studied using model predictive control that determines the control vector, under some constraints, to drive a TCPN from an initial marking to a steady state by minimising certain cost functions. In order to reduce the computational complexity, a new cost function is first proposed and additional constrains that enforce constant control sequences are considered. An adaptive prediction horizon is also proposed. Then, the main contribution is to reduce the actuator solicitation by combining a new weighted term, which takes into account the flow variations, and an online adaptation of the weighting factor with a terminal constraint that ensures the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system.     

A two phase optimization method for Petri net models of manufacturing systems

Optimization is a key issue in the design of large manufacturing systems. An adequate modeling formalism to express the intricate interleaving of competition and cooperation relationships is needed first. Moreover, robust and efficient optimization techniques are necessary. This paper presents an integrated tool for the automated optimization of DEDS, with application to manufacturing systems. After a very quick overview of optimization problems in manufacturing systems, it presents the integration of two existing tools for the modeling and evaluation with Petri nets and a general-purpose optimization package based on simulated annealing. The consideration of a cache and a two phase technique for optimization allows to speed-up the optimization by a factor of about 35. During the first preoptimization phase, a rough approximation of the optimal parameter set is computed based on performance bounds. Two application examples show the benefits of the proposed technique.