Stability and stabilization of sampled-data control for lure systems

Este trabalho apresenta um novo método para a análise de estabilidade e estabilização de sistemas do tipo Lure com controle amostrado, sujeitos a amostragem aperiódica e não linearidades que são limitadas em setor e restritas em derivada, em ambos contextos global e regional. Assume-se que os estados da planta estão disponíveis para medição e que as não linearidades são conhecidas, o que leva a uma formulação mais geral do problema. Os estados são adquiridos por um controlador digital que atualiza a entrada de controle em instantes de tempo discretos e aperiódicos, mantendo-a constante entre dois instantes sucessivos de amostragem. A abordagem apresentada neste trabalho é baseada no uso de uma nova classe de looped-functionals e em uma função do tipo Lure generalizada, que leva a condições de estabilidade e estabilização que são escritas na forma de desigualdades matriciais lineares (LMIs) e quasi-LMIs, respectivamente. Com base nestas condições, problemas de otimização são formulados com o objetivo de computar o intervalo máximo entre amostragens ou os limites máximos do setor para os quais a estabilidade assintótica da origem do sistema de dados amostrados em malha fechada é garantida. No caso em que as condições de setor são válidas apenas localmente, a solução desses problemas também fornece uma estimativa da região de atração para as trajetórias em tempo contínuo do sistema em malha fechada. Como as condições de síntese são quasi-LMIs, um algoritmo de otimização por enxame de partículas é proposto para lidar com as não linearidades envolvidas nos problemas de otimização, que surgem do produto de algumas variáveis de decisão. Exemplos numéricos são apresentados ao longo do trabalho para destacar as potencialidades do método.This work presents a new method for stability analysis and stabilization of sampleddata controlled Lure systems, subject to aperiodic sampling and nonlinearities that are sector bounded and slope restricted, in both global and regional contexts. We assume that the states of the plant are available for measurement and that the nonlinearities are known, which leads to a more general formulation of the problem. The states are acquired by a digital controller which updates the control input at aperiodic discrete-time instants, keeping it constant between successive sampling instants. The approach here presented is based on the use of a new class of looped-functionals and a generalized Luretype function, which leads to stability and stabilization conditions that are written in the form of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) and quasi-LMIs, respectively. On this basis, optimization problems are formulated aiming to compute the maximal intersampling interval or the maximal sector bounds for which the asymptotic stability of the origin of the sampled-data closed-loop system is guaranteed. In the case where the sector conditions hold only locally, the solution of these problems also provide an estimate of the region of attraction for the continuous-time trajectories of the closed-loop system. As the synthesis conditions are quasi-LMIs, a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to deal with the involved nonlinearities in the optimization problems, which arise from the product of some decision variables. Numerical examples are presented throughout the work to highlight the potentialities of the method

Feedback for neuronal system identification

In order to estimate reliable models from noisy input-output data, system identification techniques usually require that the data be generated by a process with a fading memory. Non-equilibrium systems such as neuronal and chaotic models lack a fading memory. Their identification is challenging, in particular in the presence of input noise. In this thesis, we propose a methodology based on the prediction-error method for the identification of neuronal systems subject to input-additive noise. We build on the fundamental observation that while a neuronal model does not have a fading memory, it can be transformed into a fading memory system by output feedback. Our ideas can be generalized to any non-equilibrium system sharing this property. At the core of the methodology is the use of output feedback in experiment design. We provide a theoretical justification for this design choice, which has been exploited in neurophysiology since the invention of the voltage-clamp experiment. To investigate the problem of feedback for identification, we first address the estimation of simple non-equilibrium systems in Lure form, and show that feedback allows estimating the nonlinearity in a static experiment. We then address the estimation of conductance-based models. Assuming that an informed choice can be made on the elements of the model structure, we show that consistent parameter estimates can be obtained when noise is only present at the system input. Finally, we approach the problem from a black-box perspective, and propose identifying the neuronal internal dynamics using a universal approximator with Generalized Orthogonal Basis Functions.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) – Brasil (Finance Code 001

Paradigms for biologically inspired design

Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of well proven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspire product innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical engineering, medical engineering, nanotechnology, photonics, environmental protection and agriculture. However, a major obstacle for the wider use of biologically inspired design is the knowledge barrier that exist between the application engineers that have insight into how to design suitable products and the biologists with detailed knowledge and experience in understanding how biological organisms function in their environment. The biologically inspired design process can therefore be approached using different design paradigms depending on the dominant opportunities, challenges and knowledge characteristics. Design paradigms are typically characterized as either problem-driven, solution-driven, sustainability driven, bioreplication or a combination of two or more of them. The design paradigms represent different ways of overcoming the knowledge barrier and the present paper presents a review of their characterization and application

Advances in state estimation, diagnosis and control of complex systems

This dissertation intends to provide theoretical and practical contributions on estimation, diagnosis and control of complex systems, especially in the mathematical form of descriptor systems. The research is motivated by real applications, such as water networks and power systems, which require a control system to provide a proper management able to take into account their specific features and operating limits in presence of uncertainties related to their operation and failures from component malfunctions. Such a control system is expected to provide an optimal operation to obtain efficient and reliable performance. State estimation is an essential tool, which can be used not only for fault diagnosis but also for the controller design. To achieve a satisfactory robust performance, set theory is chosen to build a general framework for descriptor systems subject to uncertainties. Under certain assumptions, these uncertainties are propagated and bounded by deterministic sets that can be explicitly characterized at each iteration step. Moreover, set-invariance characterizations for descriptor systems are also of interest to describe the steady performance, which can also be used for active mode detection. For the controller design for complex systems, new developments of economic model predictive control (EMPC) are studied taking into account the case of underlying periodic behaviors. The EMPC controller is designed to be recursively feasible even with sudden changes in the economic cost function and the closed-loop convergence is guaranteed. Besides, a robust technique is plugged into the EMPC controller design to maintain these closed-loop properties in presence of uncertainties. Engineering applications modeled as descriptor systems are presented to illustrate these control strategies. From the real applications, some additional difficulties are solved, such as using a two-layer control strategy to avoid binary variables in real-time optimizations and using nonlinear constraint relaxation to deal with nonlinear algebraic equations in the descriptor model. Furthermore, the fault-tolerant capability is also included in the controller design for descriptor systems by means of the designed virtual actuator and virtual sensor together with an observer-based delayed controller.Esta tesis propone contribuciones de carácter teórico y aplicado para la estimación del estado, el diagnóstico y el control óptimo de sistemas dinámicos complejos en particular, para los sistemas descriptores, incluyendo la capacidad de tolerancia a fallos. La motivación de la tesis proviene de aplicaciones reales, como redes de agua y sistemas de energía, cuya naturaleza crítica requiere necesariamente un sistema de control para una gestión capaz de tener en cuenta sus características específicas y límites operativos en presencia de incertidumbres relacionadas con su funcionamiento, así como fallos de funcionamiento de los componentes. El objetivo es conseguir controladores que mejoren tanto la eficiencia como la fiabilidad de dichos sistemas. La estimación del estado es una herramienta esencial que puede usarse no solo para el diagnóstico de fallos sino también para el diseño del control. Con este fin, se ha decidido utilizar metodologías intervalares, o basadas en conjuntos, para construir un marco general para los sistemas de descriptores sujetos a incertidumbres desconocidas pero acotadas. Estas incertidumbres se propagan y delimitan mediante conjuntos que se pueden caracterizar explícitamente en cada instante. Por otra parte, también se proponen caracterizaciones basadas en conjuntos invariantes para sistemas de descriptores que permiten describir comportamientos estacionarios y resultan útiles para la detección de modos activos. Se estudian también nuevos desarrollos del control predictivo económico basado en modelos (EMPC) para tener en cuenta posibles comportamientos periódicos en la variación de parámetros o en las perturbaciones que afectan a estos sistemas. Además, se demuestra que el control EMPC propuesto garantiza la factibilidad recursiva, incluso frente a cambios repentinos en la función de coste económico y se garantiza la convergencia en lazo cerrado. Por otra parte, se utilizan técnicas de control robusto pata garantizar que las estrategias de control predictivo económico mantengan las prestaciones en lazo cerrado, incluso en presencia de incertidumbre. Los desarrollos de la tesis se ilustran con casos de estudio realistas. Para algunas de aplicaciones reales, se resuelven dificultades adicionales, como el uso de una estrategia de control de dos niveles para evitar incluir variables binarias en la optimización y el uso de la relajación de restricciones no lineales para tratar las ecuaciones algebraicas no lineales en el modelo descriptor en las redes de agua. Finalmente, se incluye también una contribución al diseño de estrategias de control con tolerancia a fallos para sistemas descriptores