Optimization of PID parameters for hydraulic positioning system utilizing variable weight Grey-Taguchi and particle swarm optimization

Controller that uses PID parameters requires a good tuning method in order to improve the control system performance. Especially on hydraulic positioning system that is highly nonlinear and difficult to be controlled whereby PID parameters needs to be tuned to obtain optimum performance criteria. Tuning PID control method is divided into two namely the classical methods and the methods of artificial intelligence. Particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) is one of the artificial intelligence methods. Previously, researchers had integrated PSO algorithms in the PID parameter tuning process. This research aims to improve the PSO-PID tuning algorithms by integrating the tuning process with the Variable Weight Grey-Taguchi Design of Experiment (DOE) method. This is done by conducting the DOE on the two PSO optimizing parameters: the limit of change in particle velocity and the weight distribution factor. Computer simulations and physical experiments were conducted by using the proposed PSO-PID with the Variable Weight Grey-Taguchi DOE and the classical Ziegler-Nichols methods. They are implemented on the hydraulic positioning system. Simulation results show that the proposed PSO-PID with the Variable Weight Grey-Taguchi DOE has reduced the rise time by 48.13% and settling time by 48.57% compared to the Ziegler-Nichols method. Physical experiment results also show that the proposed PSO-PID with the Variable Weight Grey-Taguchi DOE tuning responds better than Ziegler-Nichols tuning. In conclusion, this research has improved the PSO-PID parameter by applying the PSO-PID algorithm together with the Variable Weight Grey-Taguchi DOE method as a good tuning method in the hydraulic positioning system

Meta-heuristic algorithms in car engine design: a literature survey

Meta-heuristic algorithms are often inspired by natural phenomena, including the evolution of species in Darwinian natural selection theory, ant behaviors in biology, flock behaviors of some birds, and annealing in metallurgy. Due to their great potential in solving difficult optimization problems, meta-heuristic algorithms have found their way into automobile engine design. There are different optimization problems arising in different areas of car engine management including calibration, control system, fault diagnosis, and modeling. In this paper we review the state-of-the-art applications of different meta-heuristic algorithms in engine management systems. The review covers a wide range of research, including the application of meta-heuristic algorithms in engine calibration, optimizing engine control systems, engine fault diagnosis, and optimizing different parts of engines and modeling. The meta-heuristic algorithms reviewed in this paper include evolutionary algorithms, evolution strategy, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, differential evolution, estimation of distribution algorithm, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, memetic algorithms, and artificial immune system

Study of fuzzy logic in safety and control systems in nuclear power plants

Safety and control systems in Nuclear Power Plants are essentially run without intelligent systems. As nuclear industry starts to become more advanced and vendors are starting to manufacture more advance products, old structures and systems in place will eventually become obsolete needing alternatives to resolve discrepancies. Control System is considered as one protective layer with plant safety systems. Research demonstrates that intelligent control systems improve safety performance of power plants. This research studies fuzzy logic control (i.e. intelligent control system), its methodology, design and applicability to safety related systems in Nuclear Power Plant. Study further investigates fuzzy logic control approach and how it impacts improving safety related system performance. Critical system parameters and trends were studied, research plan developed and results recorded using Matlab & Simulink applications. Two case studies selected demonstrate proposed fuzzy logic with effective results. First study demonstrates how implementing fuzzy logic improves operability of self-contained pneumatic assemblies that impact improving breathing air system performance. Second study demonstrates how fuzzy logic implementation can improve instrument air compressor performance with early detection of solenoid valve failures. Both studies reveal that using fuzzy logic results in better control, precision and performance in maintaining safety related systems and encourages its use to many other applications

Microprocessor based signal processing techniques for system identification and adaptive control of DC-DC converters

PhD ThesisMany industrial and consumer devices rely on switch mode power converters (SMPCs) to provide a reliable, well regulated, DC power supply. A poorly performing power supply can potentially compromise the characteristic behaviour, efficiency, and operating range of the device. To ensure accurate regulation of the SMPC, optimal control of the power converter output is required. However, SMPC uncertainties such as component variations and load changes will affect the performance of the controller. To compensate for these time varying problems, there is increasing interest in employing real-time adaptive control techniques in SMPC applications. It is important to note that many adaptive controllers constantly tune and adjust their parameters based upon on-line system identification. In the area of system identification and adaptive control, Recursive Least Square (RLS) method provide promising results in terms of fast convergence rate, small prediction error, accurate parametric estimation, and simple adaptive structure. Despite being popular, RLS methods often have limited application in low cost systems, such as SMPCs, due to the computationally heavy calculations demanding significant hardware resources which, in turn, may require a high specification microprocessor to successfully implement. For this reason, this thesis presents research into lower complexity adaptive signal processing and filtering techniques for on-line system identification and control of SMPCs systems. The thesis presents the novel application of a Dichotomous Coordinate Descent (DCD) algorithm for the system identification of a dc-dc buck converter. Two unique applications of the DCD algorithm are proposed; system identification and self-compensation of a dc-dc SMPC. Firstly, specific attention is given to the parameter estimation of dc-dc buck SMPC. It is computationally efficient, and uses an infinite impulse response (IIR) adaptive filter as a plant model. Importantly, the proposed method is able to identify the parameters quickly and accurately; thus offering an efficient hardware solution which is well suited to real-time applications. Secondly, new alternative adaptive schemes that do not depend entirely on estimating the plant parameters is embedded with DCD algorithm. The proposed technique is based on a simple adaptive filter method and uses a one-tap finite impulse response (FIR) prediction error filter (PEF). Experimental and simulation results clearly show the DCD technique can be optimised to achieve comparable performance to classic RLS algorithms. However, it is computationally superior; thus making it an ideal candidate technique for low cost microprocessor based applications.Iraq Ministry of Higher Educatio

Evolutionary learning and global search for multi-optimal PID tuning rules

With the advances in microprocessor technology, control systems are widely seen not only in industry but now also in household appliances and consumer electronics. Among all control schemes developed so far, Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative (PID) control is the most widely adopted in practice. Today, more than 90% of industrial controllers have a built-in PID function. Their wide applications have stimulated and sustained the research and development of PID tuning techniques, patents, software packages and hardware modules. Due to parameter interaction and format variation, tuning a PID controller is not as straightforward as one would have anticipated. Therefore, designing speedy tuning rules should greatly reduce the burden on new installation and ‘time-to-market’ and should also enhance the competitive advantages of the PID system under offer. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) would be an ideal candidate to conduct the learning and search for multi-objective PID tuning rules. A simple to implement MOEA, termed s-MOEA, is devised and compared with MOEAs developed elsewhere. Extensive study and analysis are performed on metrics for evaluating MOEA performance, so as to help with this comparison and development. As a result, a novel visualisation technique, termed “Distance and Distribution” (DD)” chart, is developed to overcome some of the limitations of existing metrics and visualisation techniques. The DD chart allows a user to view the comparison of multiple sets of high order non-dominated solutions in a two-dimensional space. The capability of DD chart is shown in the comparison process and it is shown to be a useful tool for gathering more in-depth information of an MOEA which is not possible in existing empirical studies. Truly multi-objective global PID tuning rules are then evolved as a result of interfacing the s-MOEA with closed-loop simulations under practical constraints. It takes into account multiple, and often conflicting, objectives such as steady-state accuracy and transient responsiveness against stability and overshoots, as well as tracking performance against load disturbance rejection. These evolved rules are compared against other tuning rules both offline on a set of well-recognised PID benchmark test systems and online on three laboratory systems of different dynamics and transport delays. The results show that the rules significantly outperform all existing tuning rules, with multi-criterion optimality. This is made possible as the evolved rules can cover a delay to time constant ratio from zero to infinity based on first-order plus delay plant models. For second-order plus delay plant models, they can also cover all possible dynamics found in practice

Treatment of outlier using interpolation method in Malaysia tourist arrivals

The presence of outliers is an example of aberrant data that can have huge negative influence on statistical method under the assumption of normality and it affects the estimation. This paper introduces an alternative method as outlier treatment in time series which is interpolation. It compares two interpolation methods using performance indicator. Assuming outlier as a missing value in the data allows the application of the interpolation method to interpolate the missing value, thus comparing the result using the forecast accuracy. The monthly time series data from January 1998 until December 2015 of Malaysia Tourist Arrivals were used to deal with outliers. The results found that the cubic spline interpolation method gave the best result than the linear interpolation and the improved time series data indicated better performance in forecasting rather than the original time series data of Box-Jenkins model

Automated steering design using Neural Network

If you don't move forward-you begin to move backward. Technological advancement today has brought us to a frontier where the human has become the basic constraint in our ascent towards safer and faster transportation. Human error is mostly responsible for many road traffic accidents which every year take the lives of lots of people and injure many more. Driving protection is thus a major concern leading to research in autonomous driving systems. Automatic motion planning and navigation is the primary task of an automated guided vehicle or mobile robots. All such navigation systems consist of a data collection system, a decision making system and a hardware control system. In this research our artificial intelligence system is based on neural network model for navigation of an AGV in unpredictable and imprecise environment. A five layered with gradient descent momentum back-propagation system which uses heading angle and obstacle distances as input. The networks are trained by real data obtained from vehicle tracking live test runs. Considering the high amount of risk of testing the vehicle in real space-time conditions, it would initially be tested in simulated environment with the use of MATLAB®. The hardware control for an AGV should be robust and precise. An Aerial and a Grounded prototype were developed to test our neural network model in real time situation