Discrete-time Contraction Analysis and Controller Design for Nonlinear Processes

Shifting away from the traditional mass production approach, the process industry is moving towards more agile, cost-effective and dynamic process operation (next-generation smart plants). This warrants the development of control systems for nonlinear chemical processes to be capable of tracking time-varying setpoints to produce products with different specifications as per market demand and deal with variations in the raw materials and utility (e.g., energy). This thesis aims to develop controllers to achieve time-varying setpoints tracking using contraction theory. Through the differential dynamic system framework, the contraction conditions for discrete-time systems, which ensure the exponential convergence between system responses and feasible time-varying references, are derived. The discrete-time differential dissipativity condition is further developed, which can be used for disturbance rejection control designs. Computationally tractable equivalent conditions are then derived and additionally transformed into an Sum of Squares programming problem, such that a discrete-time control contraction metric and stabilising feedback controller can be jointly obtained. Synthesis and implementation details of the resulting contraction-based controller are provided, which can achieve offset-free tracking of feasible time-varying references. To do contraction analysis and control design for systems with uncertainties, which are often complex and difficult, neural networks are used. It involves training and constructing a neural network embedded contraction-based controller. Learning algorithms of uncertain system model parameters are developed. The resulting control scheme is capable of achieving efficient offset-free tracking of time-varying references, with a full range of model uncertainties, without the need for controller structure redesign as the reference or uncertain parameter changes. This neural network based approach also ensures process stability during online simultaneous control and learning of uncertain parameters. To further improve the economics of contraction-based controller, a nonlinear model predictive control approach is developed. Contraction condition is imposed as a constraint on the optimisation problem for model predictive control with an economic cost function, utilising Riemannian weighted graphs and shortest path techniques. The result is a reference flexible and fast optimal controller that can trade off between the rate of target trajectory convergence and economic benefit (away from the desired process objective)

Robust Predictive Extended State Observer for a Class of Nonlinear Systems with Time-Varying Input Delay

[EN] This paper deals with asymptotic stabilisation of a class of nonlinear input-delayed systems via dynamic output feedback in the presence of disturbances. The proposed strategy has the structure of an observer-based control law, in which the observer estimates and predicts both the plant state and the external disturbance. A nominal delay value is assumed to be known and stability conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities are derived for fast-varying delay uncertainties. Asymptotic stability is achieved if the disturbance or the time delay is constant. The controller design problem is also addressed and a numerical example with an unstable system is provided to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed strategy.This work was partially supported by: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (TIN2017-86520-C3-1-R); Universitat Politècnica de València (FPI-UPV 2014 PhD Grant); and Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 1128/14).Sanz Diaz, R.; García Gil, PJ.; Fridman, E.; Albertos Pérez, P. (2020). Robust Predictive Extended State Observer for a Class of Nonlinear Systems with Time-Varying Input Delay. International Journal of Control. 93(2):217-225. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207179.2018.1562204S217225932Ahmed-Ali, T., Cherrier, E., & Lamnabhi-Lagarrigue, F. (2012). Cascade High Gain Predictors for a Class of Nonlinear Systems. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 57(1), 221-226. doi:10.1109/tac.2011.2161795Artstein, Z. (1982). Linear systems with delayed controls: A reduction. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 27(4), 869-879. doi:10.1109/tac.1982.1103023Basturk, H. I. (2017). Cancellation of unmatched biased sinusoidal disturbances for unknown LTI systems in the presence of state delay. Automatica, 76, 169-176. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2016.10.006Basturk, H. I., & Krstic, M. (2015). Adaptive sinusoidal disturbance cancellation for unknown LTI systems despite input delay. Automatica, 58, 131-138. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2015.05.013Bekiaris-Liberis, N., & Krstic, M. (2011). Compensation of Time-Varying Input and State Delays for Nonlinear Systems. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, 134(1). doi:10.1115/1.4005278Besançon, G., Georges, D. & Benayache, Z. (2007). Asymptotic state prediction for continuous-time systems with delayed input and application to control. 2007 European control conference (ECC) (pp. 1786–1791).Engelborghs, K., Dambrine, M., & Roose, D. (2001). Limitations of a class of stabilization methods for delay systems. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 46(2), 336-339. doi:10.1109/9.905705Fridman, E. (2001). New Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals for stability of linear retarded and neutral type systems. Systems & Control Letters, 43(4), 309-319. doi:10.1016/s0167-6911(01)00114-1Fridman, E. (2014). Introduction to Time-Delay Systems. Systems & Control: Foundations & Applications. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09393-2Fridman, E. (2014). Tutorial on Lyapunov-based methods for time-delay systems. European Journal of Control, 20(6), 271-283. doi:10.1016/j.ejcon.2014.10.001Furtat, I., Fridman, E., & Fradkov, A. (2018). Disturbance Compensation With Finite Spectrum Assignment for Plants With Input Delay. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 63(1), 298-305. doi:10.1109/tac.2017.2732279Germani, A., Manes, C., & Pepe, P. (2002). A new approach to state observation of nonlinear systems with delayed output. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 47(1), 96-101. doi:10.1109/9.981726Guo, L., & Chen, W.-H. (2005). Disturbance attenuation and rejection for systems with nonlinearity via DOBC approach. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 15(3), 109-125. doi:10.1002/rnc.978Karafyllis, I., & Krstic, M. (2017). Predictor Feedback for Delay Systems: Implementations and Approximations. Systems & Control: Foundations & Applications. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-42378-4Krstic, M. (2008). Lyapunov tools for predictor feedbacks for delay systems: Inverse optimality and robustness to delay mismatch. Automatica, 44(11), 2930-2935. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2008.04.010Léchappé, V., Moulay, E., Plestan, F., Glumineau, A., & Chriette, A. (2015). New predictive scheme for the control of LTI systems with input delay and unknown disturbances. Automatica, 52, 179-184. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2014.11.003Léchappé, V., Moulay, E. & Plestan, F. (2016). Dynamic observation-prediction for LTI systems with a time-varying delay in the input. 2016 IEEE 55th conference on decision and control (CDC) (pp. 2302–2307).Manitius, A., & Olbrot, A. (1979). Finite spectrum assignment problem for systems with delays. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 24(4), 541-552. doi:10.1109/tac.1979.1102124Mazenc, F. & Malisoff, M. (2016). New prediction approach for stabilizing time-varying systems under time-varying input delay. 2016 IEEE 55th conference on decision and control (CDC) (pp. 3178–3182).Mondie, S., & Michiels, W. (2003). Finite spectrum assignment of unstable time-delay systems with a safe implementation. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 48(12), 2207-2212. doi:10.1109/tac.2003.820147Najafi, M., Hosseinnia, S., Sheikholeslam, F., & Karimadini, M. (2013). Closed-loop control of dead time systems via sequential sub-predictors. International Journal of Control, 86(4), 599-609. doi:10.1080/00207179.2012.751627Najafi, M., Sheikholeslam, F., Hosseinnia, S., & Wang, Q.-G. (2014). Robust H ∞ control of single input-delay systems based on sequential sub-predictors. IET Control Theory & Applications, 8(13), 1175-1184. doi:10.1049/iet-cta.2012.1004Sanz, R., Garcia, P., & Albertos, P. (2016). Enhanced disturbance rejection for a predictor-based control of LTI systems with input delay. Automatica, 72, 205-208. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2016.05.019Sanz, R., García, P., & Albertos, P. (2018). A generalized smith predictor for unstable time-delay SISO systems. ISA Transactions, 72, 197-204. doi:10.1016/j.isatra.2017.09.020Sanz, R., García, P., Fridman, E. & Albertos, P. (2017). A predictive extended state observer for a class of nonlinear systems with input delay subject to external disturbances. 2017 IEEE 56th annual conference on decision and control (CDC) (pp. 4345–4350).Sanz, R., Garcia, P., Fridman, E., & Albertos, P. (2018). Rejection of mismatched disturbances for systems with input delay via a predictive extended state observer. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 28(6), 2457-2467. doi:10.1002/rnc.4027Shustin, E., & Fridman, E. (2007). On delay-derivative-dependent stability of systems with fast-varying delays. Automatica, 43(9), 1649-1655. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2007.02.009Suplin, V., Fridman, E., & Shaked, U. (2007). Sampled-data H∞ control and filtering: Nonuniform uncertain sampling. Automatica, 43(6), 1072-1083. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2006.11.024Yao, J., Jiao, Z., & Ma, D. (2014). RISE-Based Precision Motion Control of DC Motors With Continuous Friction Compensation. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 61(12), 7067-7075. doi:10.1109/tie.2014.2321344Zhong, Q.-C. (2004). On Distributed Delay in Linear Control Laws—Part I: Discrete-Delay Implementations. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 49(11), 2074-2080. doi:10.1109/tac.2004.83753

Rejection of mismatched disturbances for systems with input delay via a predictive extended state observer

[EN] The problem of output stabilization and disturbance rejection for input-delayed systems is tackled in this work. First, a suitable transformation is introduced to translate mismatched disturbances into an equivalent input disturbance. Then, an extended state observer is combined with a predictive observer structure to obtain a future estimation of both the state and the disturbance. A disturbance model is assumed to be known but attenuation of unmodeled components is also considered. The stabilization is proved via Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, leading to sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities for the closed-loop analysis and parameter tuning. The proposed strategy is illustrated through a numerical example.PROMETEOII/2013/004; Conselleria d'Educacio; Generalitat Valenciana, Grant/Award Number: TIN2014-56158-C4-4-P-AR; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Grant/Award Number: FPI-UPV 2014; Universitat Politecnica de ValenciaSanz Diaz, R.; García Gil, PJ.; Fridman, E.; Albertos Pérez, P. (2018). Rejection of mismatched disturbances for systems with input delay via a predictive extended state observer. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control. 28(6):2457-2467. https://doi.org/10.1002/rnc.4027S24572467286Stability and Stabilization of Systems with Time Delay. (2011). IEEE Control Systems, 31(1), 38-65. doi:10.1109/mcs.2010.939135Fridman, E. (2014). Introduction to Time-Delay Systems. Systems & Control: Foundations & Applications. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09393-2Watanabe, K., & Ito, M. (1981). A process-model control for linear systems with delay. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 26(6), 1261-1269. doi:10.1109/tac.1981.1102802Astrom, K. J., Hang, C. C., & Lim, B. C. (1994). A new Smith predictor for controlling a process with an integrator and long dead-time. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 39(2), 343-345. doi:10.1109/9.272329Matausek, M. R., & Micic, A. D. (1996). A modified Smith predictor for controlling a process with an integrator and long dead-time. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 41(8), 1199-1203. doi:10.1109/9.533684García, P., & Albertos, P. (2008). A new dead-time compensator to control stable and integrating processes with long dead-time. Automatica, 44(4), 1062-1071. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2007.08.022Normey-Rico, J. E., & Camacho, E. F. (2009). Unified approach for robust dead-time compensator design. Journal of Process Control, 19(1), 38-47. doi:10.1016/j.jprocont.2008.02.003Manitius, A., & Olbrot, A. (1979). Finite spectrum assignment problem for systems with delays. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 24(4), 541-552. doi:10.1109/tac.1979.1102124Artstein, Z. (1982). Linear systems with delayed controls: A reduction. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 27(4), 869-879. doi:10.1109/tac.1982.1103023Krstic, M. (2008). Lyapunov tools for predictor feedbacks for delay systems: Inverse optimality and robustness to delay mismatch. Automatica, 44(11), 2930-2935. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2008.04.010Léchappé, V., Moulay, E., Plestan, F., Glumineau, A., & Chriette, A. (2015). New predictive scheme for the control of LTI systems with input delay and unknown disturbances. Automatica, 52, 179-184. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2014.11.003Sanz, R., Garcia, P., & Albertos, P. (2016). Enhanced disturbance rejection for a predictor-based control of LTI systems with input delay. Automatica, 72, 205-208. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2016.05.019Basturk, H. I., & Krstic, M. (2015). Adaptive sinusoidal disturbance cancellation for unknown LTI systems despite input delay. Automatica, 58, 131-138. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2015.05.013Basturk, H. I. (2017). Cancellation of unmatched biased sinusoidal disturbances for unknown LTI systems in the presence of state delay. Automatica, 76, 169-176. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2016.10.006Sanz, R., Garcia, P., Albertos, P., & Zhong, Q.-C. (2016). Robust controller design for input-delayed systems using predictive feedback and an uncertainty estimator. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 27(10), 1826-1840. doi:10.1002/rnc.3639Mondie, S., & Michiels, W. (2003). Finite spectrum assignment of unstable time-delay systems with a safe implementation. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 48(12), 2207-2212. doi:10.1109/tac.2003.820147Zhong, Q.-C. (2004). On Distributed Delay in Linear Control Laws—Part I: Discrete-Delay Implementations. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 49(11), 2074-2080. doi:10.1109/tac.2004.837531Zhou, B., Lin, Z., & Duan, G.-R. (2012). Truncated predictor feedback for linear systems with long time-varying input delays. Automatica, 48(10), 2387-2399. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2012.06.032Zhou, B., Li, Z.-Y., & Lin, Z. (2013). On higher-order truncated predictor feedback for linear systems with input delay. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 24(17), 2609-2627. doi:10.1002/rnc.3012Besançon G Georges D Benayache Z Asymptotic state prediction for continuous-time systems with delayed input and application to control IEEE 2007 Kos, GreeceNajafi, M., Hosseinnia, S., Sheikholeslam, F., & Karimadini, M. (2013). Closed-loop control of dead time systems via sequential sub-predictors. International Journal of Control, 86(4), 599-609. doi:10.1080/00207179.2012.751627Léchappé V Moulay E Plestan F Dynamic observation-prediction for LTI systems with a time-varying delay in the input IEEE 2016 Las Vegas, NVCacace, F., Conte, F., Germani, A., & Pepe, P. (2016). Stabilization of strict-feedback nonlinear systems with input delay using closed-loop predictors. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 26(16), 3524-3540. doi:10.1002/rnc.3517Mazenc, F., & Malisoff, M. (2017). Stabilization of Nonlinear Time-Varying Systems Through a New Prediction Based Approach. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 62(6), 2908-2915. doi:10.1109/tac.2016.2600500Guo, L., & Chen, W.-H. (2005). Disturbance attenuation and rejection for systems with nonlinearity via DOBC approach. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 15(3), 109-125. doi:10.1002/rnc.978Fridman, E. (2003). Output regulation of nonlinear systems with delay. Systems & Control Letters, 50(2), 81-93. doi:10.1016/s0167-6911(03)00131-2Isidori, A., & Byrnes, C. I. (1990). Output regulation of nonlinear systems. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 35(2), 131-140. doi:10.1109/9.45168Ding, Z. (2003). Global stabilization and disturbance suppression of a class of nonlinear systems with uncertain internal model. Automatica, 39(3), 471-479. doi:10.1016/s0005-1098(02)00251-0Chen, W.-H., Yang, J., Guo, L., & Li, S. (2016). Disturbance-Observer-Based Control and Related Methods—An Overview. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 63(2), 1083-1095. doi:10.1109/tie.2015.2478397Fridman, E., & Shaked, U. (2002). An improved stabilization method for linear time-delay systems. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 47(11), 1931-1937. doi:10.1109/tac.2002.804462Fridman, E., & Orlov, Y. (2009). Exponential stability of linear distributed parameter systems with time-varying delays. Automatica, 45(1), 194-201. doi:10.1016/j.automatica.2008.06.00

Event-Triggered Distributed Data-Driven Iterative Learning Bipartite Formation Control for Unknown Nonlinear Multiagent Systems

In this study, we investigate the event-triggering time-varying trajectory bipartite formation tracking problem for a class of unknown nonaffine nonlinear discrete-time multiagent systems (MASs). We first obtain an equivalent linear data model with a dynamic parameter of each agent by employing the pseudo-partial-derivative technique. Then, we propose an event-triggered distributed model-free adaptive iterative learning bipartite formation control scheme by using the input/output data of MASs without employing either the plant structure or any knowledge of the dynamics. To improve the flexibility and network communication resource utilization, we construct an observer-based event-triggering mechanism with a dead-zone operator. Furthermore, we rigorously prove the convergence of the proposed algorithm, where each agent’s time-varying trajectory bipartite formation tracking error is reduced to a small range around zero. Finally, four simulation studies further validate the designed control approach’s effectiveness, demonstrating that the proposed scheme is also suitable for the homogeneous MASs to achieve time-varying trajectory bipartite formation tracking

Stability and Performance Analysis of Systems Under Constraints

All real world control systems must deal with actuator and state constraints. Standard conic sector bounded nonlinearity stability theory provides methods for analyzing the stability and performance of systems under constraints, but it is well-known that these conditions can be very conservative. A method is developed to reduce conservatism in the analysis of constraints by representing them as nonlinear real parametric uncertainty

Variance-constrained multiobjective control and filtering for nonlinear stochastic systems: A survey

The multiobjective control and filtering problems for nonlinear stochastic systems with variance constraints are surveyed. First, the concepts of nonlinear stochastic systems are recalled along with the introduction of some recent advances. Then, the covariance control theory, which serves as a practical method for multi-objective control design as well as a foundation for linear system theory, is reviewed comprehensively. The multiple design requirements frequently applied in engineering practice for the use of evaluating system performances are introduced, including robustness, reliability, and dissipativity. Several design techniques suitable for the multi-objective variance-constrained control and filtering problems for nonlinear stochastic systems are discussed. In particular, as a special case for the multi-objective design problems, the mixed H 2 / H ∞ control and filtering problems are reviewed in great detail. Subsequently, some latest results on the variance-constrained multi-objective control and filtering problems for the nonlinear stochastic systems are summarized. Finally, conclusions are drawn, and several possible future research directions are pointed out

A review of convex approaches for control, observation and safety of linear parameter varying and Takagi-Sugeno systems

This paper provides a review about the concept of convex systems based on Takagi-Sugeno, linear parameter varying (LPV) and quasi-LPV modeling. These paradigms are capable of hiding the nonlinearities by means of an equivalent description which uses a set of linear models interpolated by appropriately defined weighing functions. Convex systems have become very popular since they allow applying extended linear techniques based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to complex nonlinear systems. This survey aims at providing the reader with a significant overview of the existing LMI-based techniques for convex systems in the fields of control, observation and safety. Firstly, a detailed review of stability, feedback, tracking and model predictive control (MPC) convex controllers is considered. Secondly, the problem of state estimation is addressed through the design of proportional, proportional-integral, unknown input and descriptor observers. Finally, safety of convex systems is discussed by describing popular techniques for fault diagnosis and fault tolerant control (FTC).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A survey on gain-scheduled control and filtering for parameter-varying systems

Copyright © 2014 Guoliang Wei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in the gain-scheduled control and filtering problems for the parameter-varying systems. First of all, we recall several important algorithms suitable for gain-scheduling method including gain-scheduled proportional-integral derivative (PID) control, H 2, H ∞ and mixed H 2 / H ∞ gain-scheduling methods as well as fuzzy gain-scheduling techniques. Secondly, various important parameter-varying system models are reviewed, for which gain-scheduled control and filtering issues are usually dealt with. In particular, in view of the randomly occurring phenomena with time-varying probability distributions, some results of our recent work based on the probability-dependent gain-scheduling methods are reviewed. Furthermore, some latest progress in this area is discussed. Finally, conclusions are drawn and several potential future research directions are outlined.The National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 61074016, 61374039, 61304010, and 61329301; the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China under Grant BK20130766; the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning; the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University under Grant NCET-11-1051, the Leverhulme Trust of the U.K., the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany