30 research outputs found
A Parametric Non-Convex Decomposition Algorithm for Real-Time and Distributed NMPC
A novel decomposition scheme to solve parametric non-convex programs as they
arise in Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) is presented. It consists of
a fixed number of alternating proximal gradient steps and a dual update per
time step. Hence, the proposed approach is attractive in a real-time
distributed context. Assuming that the Nonlinear Program (NLP) is
semi-algebraic and that its critical points are strongly regular, contraction
of the sequence of primal-dual iterates is proven, implying stability of the
sub-optimality error, under some mild assumptions. Moreover, it is shown that
the performance of the optimality-tracking scheme can be enhanced via a
continuation technique. The efficacy of the proposed decomposition method is
demonstrated by solving a centralised NMPC problem to control a DC motor and a
distributed NMPC program for collaborative tracking of unicycles, both within a
real-time framework. Furthermore, an analysis of the sub-optimality error as a
function of the sampling period is proposed given a fixed computational power.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
A Parametric Multi-Convex Splitting Technique with Application to Real-Time NMPC
A novel splitting scheme to solve parametric multiconvex programs is
presented. It consists of a fixed number of proximal alternating minimisations
and a dual update per time step, which makes it attractive in a real-time
Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) framework and for distributed
computing environments. Assuming that the parametric program is semi-algebraic
and that its KKT points are strongly regular, a contraction estimate is derived
and it is proven that the sub-optimality error remains stable if two key
parameters are tuned properly. Efficacy of the method is demonstrated by
solving a bilinear NMPC problem to control a DC motor.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 53rd IEEE Conference on Decision and
Control 201
An Alternating Trust Region Algorithm for Distributed Linearly Constrained Nonlinear Programs, Application to the AC Optimal Power Flow
A novel trust region method for solving linearly constrained nonlinear
programs is presented. The proposed technique is amenable to a distributed
implementation, as its salient ingredient is an alternating projected gradient
sweep in place of the Cauchy point computation. It is proven that the algorithm
yields a sequence that globally converges to a critical point. As a result of
some changes to the standard trust region method, namely a proximal
regularisation of the trust region subproblem, it is shown that the local
convergence rate is linear with an arbitrarily small ratio. Thus, convergence
is locally almost superlinear, under standard regularity assumptions. The
proposed method is successfully applied to compute local solutions to
alternating current optimal power flow problems in transmission and
distribution networks. Moreover, the new mechanism for computing a Cauchy point
compares favourably against the standard projected search as for its activity
detection properties
An Alternating Trust Region Algorithm for Distributed Linearly Constrained Nonlinear Programs, Application to the Optimal Power Flow Problem
A novel trust region method for solving linearly constrained nonlinear programs is presented. The proposed technique is amenable to a distributed implementation, as its salient ingredient is an alternating projected gradient sweep in place of the Cauchy point computation. It is proven that the algorithm yields a sequence that globally converges to a critical point. As a result of some changes to the standard trust region method, namely a proximal regularisation of the trust region subproblem, it is shown that the local convergence rate is linear with an arbitrarily small ratio. Thus, convergence is locally almost superlinear, under standard regularity assumptions. The proposed method is successfully applied to compute local solutions to alternating current optimal power flow problems in transmission and distribution networks. Moreover, the new mechanism for computing a Cauchy point compares favourably against the standard projected search, as for its activity detection properties
A parametric augmented Lagrangian algorithm for real-time economic NMPC
In this paper, a novel optimality-tracking algorithm for solving Economic Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (ENMPC) problems in real-time is presented. Developing online schemes for ENMPC is challenging, since it is unclear how convexity of the Quadratic Programming (QP) problem, which is obtained by linearisation of the NMPC program around the current iterate, can be enforced efficiently. Therefore, we propose addressing the problem by means of an augmented Lagrangian formulation. Our tracking scheme consists of a fixed number of inexact Newton steps computed on an augmented Lagrangian subproblem followed by a dual update per time step. Under mild assumptions on the number of iterations and the penalty parameter, it can be proven that the sub-optimality error provided by the parametric algorithm remains bounded over time. This result extends the authors' previous works from a theoretical and a computational perspective. Efficacy of the approach is demonstrated on an ENMPC example consisting of a bioreactor
Real-Time Distributed Algorithms for Nonconvex Optimal Power Flow
The optimal power flow (OPF) problem, a fundamental problem in power systems, is generally nonconvex and computationally challenging for networks with an increasing number of smart devices and real-time control requirements. In this paper, we first investigate a fully distributed approach by means of the augmented Lagrangian and proximal alternating minimization method to solve the nonconvex OPF problem with a convergence guarantee. Given time-critical requirements, we then extend the algorithm to a distributed parametric tracking scheme with practical warm-starting and termination strategies, which aims to provide a closed-loop sub-optimal control policy while taking into account the grid information updated at the time of decision making. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for real-time nonconvex OPF problems is demonstrated in numerical simulations
Constrained Spectrum Control
A novel Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) scheme is proposed in order to shape the harmonic response of constrained nonlinear systems. The salient ingredient is the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) of the system's output signal, which is constrained in an NMPC problem, leading to the novel formulation of so-called spectrum constraints. Recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability of the proposed NMPC scheme with such spectrum constraints are guaranteed by means of an appropriate ellipsoidal terminal invariant set. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated on a nonlinear vibration damping problem