Design and practical implementation of a fractional order proportional integral controller (FOPI) for a poorly damped fractional order process with time delay

One of the most popular tuning procedures for the development of fractional order controllers is by imposing frequency domain constraints such as gain crossover frequency, phase margin and iso-damping properties. The present study extends the frequency domain tuning methodology to a generalized range of fractional order processes based on second order plus time delay (SOPDT) models. A fractional order PI controller is tuned for a real process that exhibits poorly damped dynamics characterized in terms of a fractional order transfer function with time delay. The obtained controller is validated on the experimental platform by analyzing staircase reference tracking, input disturbance rejection and robustness to process uncertainties. The paper focuses around the tuning methodology as well as the fractional order modeling of the process' dynamics

Event-based fractional order control

The present study provides a generalization of event-based control to the field of fractional calculus, combining the benefits brought by the two approaches into an industrial-suitable control strategy. During recent years, control applications based on fractional order differintegral operators have gained more popularity due to their proven superior performance when compared to classical, integer order, control strategies. However, the current industrial setting is not yet prepared to fully adapt to complex fractional order control implementations that require hefty computational resources; needing highly-efficient methods with minimum control effort. The solution to this particular problem lies in combining benefits of event-based control such as resource optimization and bandwidth allocation with the superior performance of fractional order control. Theoretical and implementation aspects are developed in order to provide a generalization of event-based control into the fractional calculus field. Different numerical examples validate the proposed methodology, providing a useful tool, especially for industrial applications where the event-based control is most needed. Several event-based fractional order implementation possibilities are explored, the final result being an event-based fractional order control methodology. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Cairo University

A survey of recent advances in fractional order control for time delay systems

Several papers reviewing fractional order calculus in control applications have been published recently. These papers focus on general tuning procedures, especially for the fractional order proportional integral derivative controller. However, not all these tuning procedures are applicable to all kinds of processes, such as the delicate time delay systems. This motivates the need for synthesizing fractional order control applications, problems, and advances completely dedicated to time delay processes. The purpose of this paper is to provide a state of the art that can be easily used as a basis to familiarize oneself with fractional order tuning strategies targeted for time delayed processes. Solely, the most recent advances, dating from the last decade, are included in this review

An energy-efficient context aware solution for environmental assessment

The paper focuses on presenting the advantages of context aware cyber-physical systems through an experimental platform capable of assessing its surroundings and self-performing decisions. The context aware paradigm is present in the control law implementation with various advantages such as energy efficiency as well as in the environmental measurements that trigger the robot to perform context-relevant decisions. The platform provides high versatility and the results presented throughout the study can be adapted to a manifold of multidisciplinary fields. Copyright (C) 2020 The Authors

Robust fractional order PI control for cardiac output stabilisation

Drug regulatory paradigms are dependent on the hemodynamic system as it serves to distribute and clear the drug in/from the body. While focusing on the objective of the drug paradigm at hand, it is important to maintain stable hemodynamic variables. In this work, a biomedical application requiring robust control properties has been used to illustrate the potential of an autotuning method, referred to as the fractional order robust autotuner. The method is an extension of a previously presented autotuning principle and produces controllers which are robust to system gain variations. The feature of automatic tuning of controller parameters can be of great use for data-driven adaptation during intra-patient variability conditions. Fractional order PI/PD controllers are generalizations of the well-known PI/PD controllers that exhibit an extra parameter usually used to enhance the robustness of the closed loop system. (C) 2019, IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Identification for control of suspended objects in non-Newtonian fluids

This paper proposes a framework for modelling velocity profiles and suspended objects in non-Newtonian fluid environment. A setup is proposed to allow mimicking blood properties and arterial to venous dynamic flow changes. Navier-Stokes relations are employed followed by fractional constitutive equations for velocity profiles and flow. The theoretical analysis is performed under assumptions of steady and pulsatile flow conditions, with incompressible properties. The fractional derivative model for velocity and friction drag effect upon a suspended object are determined. Experimental data from such an object is then recorded in real-time and identification of a fractional order model performed. The model is determined from step input changes during pulsatile flow for velocity in the direction of the flow. Further on, this model can be employed for controller design purposes for velocity and position in pulsatile non-Newtonian fluid flow

Mathematical modelling with experimental validation of viscoelastic properties in non-Newtonian fluids

The paper proposes a mathematical framework for the use of fractional-order impedance models to capture fluid mechanics properties in frequency-domain experimental datasets. An overview of non-Newtonian (NN) fluid classification is given as to motivate the use of fractional-order models as natural solutions to capture fluid dynamics. Four classes of fluids are tested: oil, sugar, detergent and liquid soap. Three nonlinear identification methods are used to fit the model: nonlinear least squares, genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization. The model identification results obtained from experimental datasets suggest the proposed model is useful to characterize various degree of viscoelasticity in NN fluids. The advantage of the proposed model is that it is compact, while capturing the fluid properties and can be identified in real-time for further use in prediction or control applications. This article is part of the theme issue 'Advanced materials modelling via fractional calculus: challenges and perspectives'

Discrete-time implementation and experimental validation of a fractional order PD controller for vibration suppression in airplane wings

Vibrations in airplane wings have a negative impact on the quality and safety of a flight. For this reason, active vibration suppression techniques are of extreme importance. In this paper, a smart beam is used as a simulator for the airplane wings and a fractional order PD controller is designed for active vibration mitigation. To implement the ideal fractional order controller on the smart beam unit, its digital approximation is required. In this paper, a new continuous-to-discrete-time operator is used to obtain the discrete-time approximation of the ideal fractional order PD controller. The efficiency and flexibility, as well as some guidelines for using this new operator, are given. The numerical examples show that high accuracy of approximation is obtained and that the proposed method can be considered as a suitable solution for obtaining the digital approximation of fractional order controllers. The experimental results demonstrate that the designed controller can significantly improve the vibration suppression in smart beams

Fractional order models enabling control strategies based on material properties

Het proefschrift biedt een theoretisch en praktisch (experimenteel) kader om dynamica en bewegingsvariaties te testen in vloeistoffen die buiten de klassieke lineaire Newtonse eigenschappen vallen. Dergelijke vloeistoffen komen in de praktijk zeer vaak voor, om er een paar op te sommen: bloed, vloeibaar wasmiddel, vloeibaar staal, shampoo, enz. De nieuwigheid van de voorgestelde benadering is dat nieuwe hulpmiddelen uit de wiskunde worden vermengd met systeem- en controletheorie om een beter begrip te krijgen van de niet-Newtoniaanse vloeistofdynamica. De aanpak maakt gebruik van fysische kenmerken van het systeem om de dynamica te modelleren en legt een verband met de voorgestelde wiskundige modellen. Bewegingscontrole van deze vloeistoffen (via externe krachten) of van ondergedompelde objecten wordt voorgesteld. De toepassingsgebieden zijn breed en de bruikbaarheid van de resultaten is interdisciplinair. Op basis van de samenwerkingsovereenkomst en de stand van de techniek met Arcelor Mittal Gent wordt speciale aandacht besteed aan de modellering van de bewegingseigenschappen van vloeibaar staal en de regeling met externe krachten om de stroming in het continugietproces te regelen. Er wordt ook een andere industriële casestudie voorgesteld aan de hand van droge/natte granulatie in een farmaceutisch tabletproductieproces. De voorgestelde onderzoeksbenadering is in lijn met de VWRI-verkenning voor 2025 door middel van opkomende contextbewuste regelstrategieën, die het potentieel hebben om een technologie-enabler te zijn in verschillende domeinen