Vector dissipativity theory and stability of feedback interconnections for large-scale non-linear dynamical systems

Recent technological demands have required the analysis and control design of increasingly complex, large-scale non-linear dynamical systems. In analysing these large-scale systems, it is often desirable to treat the overall system as a collection of interconnected subsystems. Solution properties of the large-scale system are then deduced from the solution properties of the individual subsystems and the nature of the system interconnections. In this paper we develop an analysis framework for large-scale dynamical systems based on vector dissipativity notions. Specifically, using vector storage functions and vector supply rates, dissipativity properties of the composite large-scale system are shown to be determined from the dissipativity properties of the subsystems and their interconnections. Furthermore, extended Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov conditions, in terms of the subsystem dynamics and interconnection constraints, characterizing vector dissipativeness via vector system storage functions are derived. Finally, these results are used to develop feedback interconnection stability results for large-scale non-linear dynamical systems using vector Lyapunov functions.     

Stability analysis of large-scale systems with stable and unstable subsystems

Sufficient conditions are given for both exponential and asymptotic stability of time-varying non-linear large-scale systems composed of stable and unstable subsystems. Sign-negative coupling among the subsystems, which can be of arbitrary order and interconnected in arbitrary fashion, is allowable. Under the conditions the required stability property of the overall system is implied by the stability properties of all its subsystems and global features of their interactions. The interactions can be expressed in terms of time-varying, sign-indefinite functions rather than only in terms of time-invariant positive definite functions. Three examples are worked out to illustrate application of- the results.     

Lurie控制系统的关联绝对稳定性-双线性矩阵不等式方法

研究任意两个相互独立的Lurie控制系统能否通过关联或协调控制组成绝对稳定大系统的问题,给出两个Lurie控制系统可关联绝对稳定的充分条件,并给出了计算关联矩阵的双线性矩阵不等式方法.研究结果表明:两个非绝对稳定的系统可以通过关联或协调控制来实现关联大系统的绝对稳定性,取消了大系统稳定性分析中对关联的不合理限制.文末给出了本文结果的数值例子.     

Partial stability of large-scale systems

In this paper a theorem concerning the asymptotic partial stability for large-scale systems is given. By describing high-order systems as collections of lower order interconnected subsystems, the theorem takes the form of conditions on the interconnection structure so that asymptotic partial stability property of isolated subsystems infer the same property of the over-all system. An application is given for a problem of partial controllability in the large.     

多个线性时滞系统的关联稳定与协调控制

研究线性时滞系统的时滞无关关联稳定性和协调控制问题.利用双线性矩阵不等式(BMI),给出了两个系统关联稳定和协调镇定的充分条件,将关联和协调控制器的设计问题转化为具有BMI约束的非凸优化问题,并给出了求解这类问题的交替算法.最后,通过一个数值例子来说明本文结果的有效性.研究结果表明,不稳定的时滞系统可以通过设计关联或协调控制构成稳定的组合系统.     

Connection between cooperative positive systems and integral input-to-state stability of large-scale systems

We consider a class of continuous-time cooperative systems evolving on the positive orthant . We show that if the origin is globally attractive, then it is also globally stable and, furthermore, there exists an unbounded invariant manifold where trajectories strictly decay. This leads to a small-gain-type condition which is sufficient for global asymptotic stability (GAS) of the origin.We establish the following connection to large-scale interconnections of (integral) input-to-state stable (ISS) subsystems: If the cooperative system is (integral) ISS, and arises as a comparison system associated with a large-scale interconnection of (i)ISS systems, then the composite nominal system is also (i)ISS. We provide a criterion in terms of a Lyapunov function for (integral) input-to-state stability of the comparison system. Furthermore, we show that if a small-gain condition holds then the classes of systems participating in the large-scale interconnection are restricted in the sense that certain iISS systems cannot occur. Moreover, this small-gain condition is essentially the same as the one obtained previously by [Dashkovskiy et?al., 2007] and Dashkovskiy et al., in press for large-scale interconnections of ISS systems.     

On integral input-to-state stability for a feedback interconnection of parameterised discrete-time systems

This paper addresses integral input-to-state stability (iISS) for a feedback interconnection of parameterised discrete-time systems involving two subsystems. Particularly, we give a construction for a smooth iISS Lyapunov function for the whole system from the sum of nonlinearly weighted Lyapunov functions of individual subsystems. Motivations for such a construction are given. We consider two main cases. The first one investigates iISS for the whole system when both subsystems are iISS. The second one gives iISS for the interconnected system when one of subsystems is allowed to be input-to-state stable. The approach is also valid for both discrete-time cascades and a feedback interconnection of iISS and static systems. Examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the results.     

Characterization of robust stability of a class of interconnected systems

We consider robust stability analysis of a class of large scale interconnected systems. The individual subsystems may be different but they are assumed to share a property that characterizes a set of interconnection matrices which lead to stable overall systems. The main contribution of the paper is to show that, for the case where the network interconnection matrix is normal, (robust) stability verification can be simplified to a low complexity problem of checking whether the frequency response of the individual subsystems and the eigenvalues of the interconnection matrix can be mutually separated using a class of quadratic forms. Most interestingly, it is shown that this criterion is also necessary, in the sense that if the criterion is violated, an interconnection matrix of the same eigenvalue distribution can be found to make the overall system unstable.     

Passivity and stability of switched systems: A multiple storage function method

This paper presents a concept of passivity for switched systems using multiple storage functions. This passivity property is invariant under compatible feedback interconnection. Branicky's stability theorem of multiple Lyapunov functions is generalized by relaxing the non-increasing condition on values of Lyapunov-like functions. Using this result we show that a passive switched system is stable in the sense of Lyapunov. Moreover, asymptotic stability is reached if all subsystems are asymptotically detectable.     

Optimality of decentralized control for large-scale systems

A decentralized control scheme is given for the stabilization of large-scale linear systems composed of a number of controllable subsystems. A class of interconnection structures among subsystems is defined for which the overall system can always be stabilized by local state feedback which is optimal for a quadratic performance index. The resulting closed-loop system has robust stability properties against a wide range of variations in open-loop dynamics. Optimality of the decentralized control law is preserved for a modified performance index under perturbations in interconnections such that the strength of coupling does not increase. The class of decentrally stabilizable large-scale systems presented in this paper is the largest such class hitherto described by the structure of interconnections.     

一类非线性组合大系统的稳定性

本文研究一类比较广泛的非线性组合大系统的稳定性问题.基于矩阵代数Riccati 方程存在对称正定解的新判据(引理2),给出了检验这类非线性组合大系统稳定性的新准 则,所给出的稳定性准则只涉及子系统的稳定性以及子系统之间的互联项,因此,当应用该准 则检验这类非线性组合大系统的稳定性时,避免了构造子系统以及大系统的Lyapunov函数 的困难.     

分布式迭代随机大系统的定性分析

本文对分布迭代随机大系统给出了定性分析，对时不变性线，时变线性和非线性迭代随机大系统建立了关联均方收敛性判据，在所有孤立子系统都收敛的情形，只需选择子系统中适当的乘子，迭代随机大系统就能对任意互连项和在结构扰动下保持均方收敛性。     

Necessary and Sufficient Small Gain Conditions for Integral Input-to-State Stable Systems: A Lyapunov Perspective

This paper is concerned with conditions for the stability of interconnected nonlinear systems consisting of integral input-to-state stable (iISS) systems with external inputs. The treatment of iISS and input-to-state stable (ISS) systems is unified. Both necessary conditions and sufficient conditions are investigated using a Lyapunov formulation. In the presence of model uncertainty, this paper proves that, for the stability of the interconnected system, at least one subsystem is necessarily ISS which is a stronger stability property in the set of iISS. The necessity of a small-gain-type property is also demonstrated. This paper proposes a common form of smooth Lyapunov functions which can establish the iISS and the ISS of the interconnection comprising iISS and ISS subsystems whenever the small-gain-type condition is satisfied. The result covers situations more general than the earlier study and removes technical conditions assumed in the previous literature. Global asymptotic stability is discussed as a special case.     

Small-gain theory for stability and control of dynamical networks: A Survey

This paper provides a personal account of the small-gain theory as a tool for stability analysis, control synthesis, and robustness analysis for interconnected uncertain systems. A milestone in modern control theory is the development of a transformative stability criterion known as the classical small-gain theorem proposed by George Zames in 1966, that surpasses Lyapunov theory in that there is no need to construct Lyapunov functions for the finite-gain stability of feedback systems. Under the small-gain framework, a feedback system composed of two finite-gain stable subsystems remains finite-gain stable if the loop gain is less than one. Despite its apparent simplicity at first sight, Zames’s small-gain theorem plays a crucial role in the development of linear robust control theory. Borrowing techniques in modern nonlinear control, especially Sontag’s notion of input-to-state stability (ISS), the first generalized, nonlinear ISS small-gain theorem proposed by one of the authors in 1994 overcomes the two shortcomings of Zames’s small-gain theorem. First, the use of nonlinear gains allows to consider strongly nonlinear, interconnected systems. Second, the role of initial conditions is made explicit so that both internal Lyapunov stability and external input-output stability can be studied in a unified framework. In this survey paper, we first review early developments in the nonlinear small-gain theory for interconnected systems of various types such as continuous-time systems, discrete-time systems, hybrid systems and time-delay systems, along with applications in robust nonlinear control. Then, we describe how to obtain a network small-gain theory for large-scale dynamical networks that are comprised of more than two interacting nonlinear systems. Constructive methods for the generation of Lyapunov functions for the total network are presented as well. Finally, this paper discusses how the network/nonlinear small-gain theory can be applied to obtain innovative solutions to quantized and event-based nonlinear control problems, that are important for the development of a complete theory of controlling cyber-physical systems subject to communications and computation constraints.     

离散广义大系统的Lyapunov稳定性分析

广义大系统的稳定性是广义大系统理论的基本问题之一,对其稳定性的研究要比状态空间大系统复杂得多,因为广义大系统不仅需要考虑稳定性,而且还要考虑正则性和因果性(离散广义系统)及脉冲自由(连续广义系统).本文在所有孤立子系统都是正则的且具有因果关系的条件下,利用Lyapunov方程,应用Lyapunov函数方法,研究了广义离散线性大系统和广义离散非线性大系统的稳定性和不稳定性问题,给出了离散广义大系统稳定性和不稳定性判定定理,得到了离散广义大系统的关联稳定参数域和不稳定域.     

Input-to-state stability analysis for interconnected difference equations with delay

Input-to-state stability (ISS) of interconnected systems with each subsystem described by a difference equation subject to an external disturbance is considered. Furthermore, special attention is given to time delay, which gives rise to two relevant problems: (i) ISS of interconnected systems with interconnection delays, which arise in the paths connecting the subsystems, and (ii) ISS of interconnected systems with local delays, which arise in the dynamics of the subsystems. The fact that a difference equation with delay is equivalent to an interconnected system without delay is the crux of the proposed framework. Based on this fact and small-gain arguments, it is demonstrated that interconnection delays do not affect the stability of an interconnected system if a delay-independent small-gain condition holds. Furthermore, also using small-gain arguments, ISS for interconnected systems with local delays is established via the Razumikhin method as well as the Krasovskii approach. A combination of the results for interconnected systems with interconnection delays and local delays, respectively, provides a framework for ISS analysis of general interconnected systems with delay. Thus, a scalable ISS analysis method is obtained for large-scale interconnections of difference equations with delay.     

Adaptive fuzzy semi‐decentralized control for a class of large‐scale nonlinear systems with unknown interconnections

In this paper, a general method is developed to generate a stable adaptive fuzzy semi‐decentralized control for a class of large‐scale interconnected nonlinear systems with unknown nonlinear subsystems and unknown nonlinear interconnections. In the developed control algorithms, fuzzy logic systems, using fuzzy basis functions (FBF), are employed to approximate the unknown subsystems and interconnection functions without imposing any constraints or assumptions about the interconnections. The proposed controller consists of primary and auxiliary parts, where both direct and indirect adaptive approaches for the primary control part are aiming to maintain the closed‐loop stability, whereas the auxiliary control part is designed to attenuate the fuzzy approximation errors. By using Lyapunov stability method, the proposed semi‐decentralized adaptive fuzzy control system is proved to be globally stable, with converging tracking errors to a desired performance. Simulation examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一类前馈系统的鲁棒镇定

Two kinds of saturated controllers are designed for a class of feedforward systems and the closed-loop resulted is locally input-to-state stable and input-to-state stable, respectively. By the word "locally", it is meant that there are restrictions on the amplitude of inputs. At first, under the guidance of suitable energy functions, two kinds of saturated controllers are designed as locally input-to-state stabilizers for a class of perturbed linear systems, from which explicit gain estimations can be obtained for the subsequent design. Then under the conditions that two subsystems of the feedforward system are respectively of locally input-to-state stability and input-to-state stability, the small gain theory is used to determine saturated degrees for corresponding robust stabilizers. The stability proofs are given by using a new characterization of input-to-state stability that is based on the concept of ultimate boundedness. As an application, saturated controllers are designed for the partial dynamics of a certain inverted pendulum.     

Prescribed performance adaptive fault tolerant control approach for nonlinear large-scale systems with time delay interconnection and dead zone input

In this study, a prescribed performance adaptive fault tolerant tracking control scheme is presented for a class of nonlinear large-scale systems with time delay interconnection, dead zone input, and actuator fault. The radial basis function neural networks are used to approximate unknown nonlinear functions. Different from the barrier Lyapunov functions used to achieve the symmetrical prescribed performance, a new error transformation is introduced in this study to achieve the desired asymmetrical prescribed performance. In addition, Nussbaum function is introduced to solve the difficulties caused by dead zone input and actuator fault. Based on the appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functions, the effect of time delay interconnection could be compensated. By using backstepping procedures, an adaptive fault tolerant tracking control approach is developed for the considered large-scale systems, and the stability of the closed-loop systems is analyzed by Lyapunov theory. Meanwhile, the prescribed performance of the tracking error could be guaranteed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control approach is illustrated by two simulation examples.     

On decentralized stabilization and structure of linear large scale systems

Connective stabilizability of large-scale systems, which are composed of interconnected subsystems, is considered using decentralized feedback. Both analytical and graph-theoretic conditions are derived directly in terms of the interconnection structure, which ensure that stability of the overall closed-loop system is invariant under the structural perturbations caused by disconnections and reconnections of links among the subsystems. The conditions characterize a large class of decentrally stabilizable systems, which includes all classes of connectively stabilizable interconnected systems considered so far.