Control of Ocean Wave Energy Converters with Finite Stroke

In the design of ocean wave energy converters, proper control design is essential for the maximization of power generation performance. However, in practical applications, this control must be undertaken in the presence of stroke saturation and model uncertainty. In this dissertation, we address these challenges separately. To address stroke saturation, a nonlinear control design procedure is proposed, which guarantees to keep the stroke within its limits. The technique exploits the passivity of the wave energy converter to guarantee closed-loop stability. The proposed technique consists of three steps: 1) design of a linear feedback controller using multi-objective optimization techniques; 2) augmentation of this design with an extra input channel that adheres to a closed-loop passivity condition; and 3) design of an outer, nonlinear passive feedback loop that controls this augmented input in such a way as to ensure stroke limits are maintained. The discrete-time version of this technique is also presented. To address model uncertainty, in particular we consider the nonlinear viscosity drag effect as the model uncertainty. This robust control design problem can be regarded as a multi-objective optimization problem, whose primary objective is to optimize the nominal performance, while the second objective is to robustly stabilize the closed-loop system. The robust stability constraint can be posed using the concept of circle criterion. Because this optimization is non-convex, Loop Transfer Recovery methods are used to solve for sub-optimal solutions to the problem. These techniques are demonstrated in simulation, for arrays of buoy-type wave energy converters.PHDCivil EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163263/1/waynelao_1.pd

Systems and control : 21th Benelux meeting, 2002, March 19-21, Veldhoven, The Netherlands

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Benelux meeting on systems and control, 23rd, March 17-19, 2004, Helvoirt, The Netherlands

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Commande sous contraintes de systèmes dynamiques multi-agents

The goal of this thesis is to propose solutions for the optimal control of multi-agent dynamical systems under constraints. Elements from control theory and optimization are merged together in order to provide useful tools which are further applied to different problems involving multi-agent formations. The thesis considers the challenging case of agents subject to dynamical constraints. To deal with these issues, well established concepts like set-theory, differential flatness, Model Predictive Control (MPC), Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) are adapted and enhanced. Using these theoretical notions, the thesis concentrates on understanding the geometrical properties of the multi-agent group formation and on providing a novel synthesis framework which exploits the group structure. In particular, the formation design and the collision avoidance conditions are casted as geometrical problems and optimization-based procedures are developed to solve them. Moreover, considerable advances in this direction are obtained by efficiently using MIP techniques (in order to derive an efficient description of the non-convex, non-connected feasible region which results from multi-agent collision and obstacle avoidance constraints) and stability properties (in order to analyze the uniqueness and existence of formation configurations). Lastly, some of the obtained theoretical results are applied on a challenging practical application. A novel combination of MPC and differential flatness (for reference generation) is used for the flight control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des solutions aux problèmes liés à la commande optimale de systèmes dynamiques multi-agents en présence de contraintes. Des éléments de la théorie de commande et d'optimisation sont appliqués à différents problèmes impliquant des formations de systèmes multi-agents. La thèse examine le cas d'agents soumis à des contraintes dynamiques. Pour faire face à ces problèmes, les concepts bien établis tels que la théorie des ensembles, la platitude différentielle, la commande prédictive (Model Predictive Control - MPC), la programmation mixte en nombres entiers (Mixed-Integer Programming - MIP) sont adaptés et améliorés. En utilisant ces notions théoriques, ce travail de thèse a porté sur les propriétés géométriques de la formation d'un groupe multi-agents et propose un cadre de synthèse original qui exploite cette structure. En particulier, le problème de conception de formation et les conditions d'évitement des collisions sont formulés comme des problèmes géométriques et d'optimisation pour lesquels il existe des procédures de résolution. En outre, des progrès considérables dans ce sens ont été obtenus en utilisant de façon efficace les techniques MIP (dans le but d'en déduire une description efficace des propriétés de non convexité et de non connexion d'une région de faisabilité résultant d'une collision de type multi-agents avec des contraintes d'évitement d'obstacles) et des propriétés de stabilité (afin d'analyser l'unicité et l'existence de configurations de formation de systèmes multi-agents). Enfin, certains résultats théoriques obtenus ont été appliqués dans un cas pratique très intéressant. On utilise une nouvelle combinaison de la commande prédictive et de platitude différentielle (pour la génération de référence) dans la commande et la navigation de véhicules aériens sans pilote (UAVs)