Disturbance Observer-based Robust Control and Its Applications: 35th Anniversary Overview

Disturbance Observer has been one of the most widely used robust control tools since it was proposed in 1983. This paper introduces the origins of Disturbance Observer and presents a survey of the major results on Disturbance Observer-based robust control in the last thirty-five years. Furthermore, it explains the analysis and synthesis techniques of Disturbance Observer-based robust control for linear and nonlinear systems by using a unified framework. In the last section, this paper presents concluding remarks on Disturbance Observer-based robust control and its engineering applications.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Vibration suppression in multi-body systems by means of disturbance filter design methods

This paper addresses the problem of interaction in mechanical multi-body systems and shows that subsystem interaction can be considerably minimized while increasing performance if an efficient disturbance model is used. In order to illustrate the advantage of the proposed intelligent disturbance filter, two linear model based techniques are considered: IMC and the model based predictive (MPC) approach. As an illustrative example, multivariable mass-spring-damper and quarter car systems are presented. An adaptation mechanism is introduced to account for linear parameter varying LPV conditions. In this paper we show that, even if the IMC control strategy was not designed for MIMO systems, if a proper filter is used, IMC can successfully deal with disturbance rejection in a multivariable system, and the results obtained are comparable with those obtained by a MIMO predictive control approach. The results suggest that both methods perform equally well, with similar numerical complexity and implementation effort

A new momentum management controller for the space station

A new approach to CMG (control moment gyro) momentum management and attitude control of the Space Station is developed. The control algorithm utilizes both the gravity-gradient and gyroscopic torques to seek torque equilibrium attitude in the presence of secular and cyclic disturbances. Depending upon mission requirements, either pitch attitude or pitch-axis CMG momentum can be held constant: yaw attitude and roll-axis CMG momentum can be held constant, while roll attitude and yaw-axis CMG momentum cannot be held constant. As a result, the overall attitude and CMG momentum oscillations caused by cyclic aero-dynamic disturbances are minimized. A state feedback controller with minimal computer storage requirement for gain scheduling is also developed. The overall closed-loop system is stable for + or - 30 percent inertia matrix variations and has more than + or - 10 dB and 45 deg stability margins in each loop

Robust Adaptive Repetitive and Iterative Learning Control for Rotary Systems Subject to Spatially Periodic Uncertainties

This book chapter reviews and summarizes the recent progress in the design of spatial‐based robust adaptive repetitive and iterative learning control. In particular, the collection of methods aims at rotary systems that are subject to spatially periodic uncertainties and based on nonlinear control paradigm, e.g., adaptive feedback linearization and adaptive backstepping. We will elaborate on the design procedure (applicable to generic nth‐order systems) of each method and the corresponding stability and convergence theorems

Advances In Internal Model Principle Control Theory

In this thesis, two advanced implementations of the internal model principle (IMP) are presented. The first is the identification of exponentially damped sinusoidal (EDS) signals with unknown parameters which are widely used to model audio signals. This application is developed in discrete time as a signal processing problem. An IMP based adaptive algorithm is developed for estimating two EDS parameters, the damping factor and frequency. The stability and convergence of this adaptive algorithm is analyzed based on a discrete time two time scale averaging theory. Simulation results demonstrate the identification performance of the proposed algorithm and verify its stability. The second advanced implementation of the IMP control theory is the rejection of disturbances consisting of both predictable and unpredictable components. An IMP controller is used for rejecting predictable disturbances. But the phase lag introduced by the IMP controller limits the rejection capability of the wideband disturbance controller, which is used for attenuating unpredictable disturbance, such as white noise. A combination of open and closed-loop control strategy is presented. In the closed-loop mode, both controllers are active. Once the tracking error is insignificant, the input to the IMP controller is disconnected while its output control action is maintained. In the open loop mode, the wideband disturbance controller is made more aggressive for attenuating white noise. Depending on the level of the tracking error, the input to the IMP controller is connected intermittently. Thus the system switches between open and closed-loop modes. A state feedback controller is designed as the wideband disturbance controller in this application. Two types of predictable disturbances are considered, constant and periodic. For a constant disturbance, an integral controller, the simplest IMP controller, is used. For a periodic disturbance with unknown frequencies, adaptive IMP controllers are used to estimate the frequencies before cancelling the disturbances. An extended multiple Lyapunov functions (MLF) theorem is developed for the stability analysis of this intermittent control strategy. Simulation results justify the optimal rejection performance of this switched control by comparing with two other traditional controllers

A survey on fractional order control techniques for unmanned aerial and ground vehicles

In recent years, numerous applications of science and engineering for modeling and control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) systems based on fractional calculus have been realized. The extra fractional order derivative terms allow to optimizing the performance of the systems. The review presented in this paper focuses on the control problems of the UAVs and UGVs that have been addressed by the fractional order techniques over the last decade

Asymptotic rejection of sinusoidal disturbances based voltage balance control in back-to-back power converters

This paper addresses the imbalance problem of the dc-link capacitor voltages in the three-level diode-clamped back-to-back power converter. In order to cope with it, a mathematical analysis of the capacitor voltage difference dynamics, based on a continuous model of the converter, is first carried out. It leads to an approximated model which contains explicitly several sinusoidal functions of time. In view of this result, the voltage imbalance phenomenon can be addressed as an output regulation problem, considering the sinusoidal functions as exogenous disturbances. Thus, a novel approach to deal with the mentioned problem in the back- to-back converter is presented. Then, the particular features of the disturbances are used to design several controllers. They all follow an asymptotic disturbance rejection approach. In this way, the estimations of the disturbances are used to apply a control law that cancels them while regulating the capacitor voltage balance as well. Finally, the performance of the proposed control laws is evaluated, presenting the simulation results obtained when the different controllers are implemented.MICINN-FEDER DPI2009-0966