Optimal state feedback for constrained nonlinear systems

In this paper, we consider a general nonlinear control system that is subject to both terminal state and continuous inequality constraints. The continuous inequality constraints must be satisfied at every point in the time horizon—an infinite number of points. Our aim is to design an optimal feedback controller that yields efficient system performance and satisfaction of all constraints. We first formulate this problem as a semi-infinite optimization problem. We then show that, by using a novel exact penalty approach, this semi-infinite optimization problem can be converted into a sequence of nonlinear programming problems, each of which can be solved using standard numerical techniques. We conclude the paper with some convergence results

A gradient-based parameter identification method for time-delay chaotic systems

In this paper, the parameter identification problem for a general class of time-delay chaotic systems is considered. The objective of the problem is to determine optimal values for an unknown time-delay and unknown system parameters such that the dynamic model of the system best fits given experimental data. We propose a gradient-based optimization algorithm to solve this problem, where accurate values for the partial derivatives of the error function are obtained by solving a set of auxiliary time-delay systems. Simulation results for two example problems show that the proposed algorithm is robust and efficient

A heuristic algorithm for optimal fleet composition with vehicle routing considerations

This paper proposes a fast heuristic algorithm for solving a combined optimal fleet composition and multi-period vehicle routing problem. The aim of the problem is to determine an optimal fleet mix, together with the corresponding vehicle routes, to minimize total cost subject to various customer delivery requirements and vehicle capacity constraints. The total cost includes not only the fixed, variable, and transportation costs associated with operating the fleet, but also the hiring costs incurred whenever vehicle requirements exceed fleet capacity. Although the problem under consideration can be formulated as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP), the MILP formulation for realistic problem instances is too large to solve using standard commercial solvers such as the IBM ILOG CPLEX optimization tool. Our proposed heuristic decomposes the problem into two tractable stages: in the first (outer) stage, the vehicle routes are optimized using cross entropy; in the second (inner) stage, the optimal fleet mix corresponding to a fixed set of routes is determined using dynamic programming and golden section search. Numerical results show that this heuristic approach generates high-quality solutions and significantly outperforms CPLEX in terms of computational speed

A computational algorithm for a class of non-smooth optimal control problems arising in aquaculture operations

This paper introduces a computational approach for solving non-linear optimal control problems in which the objective function is a discontinuous function of the state. We illustrate this approach using a dynamic model of shrimp farming in which shrimp are harvested at several intermediate times during the production cycle. The problem is to choose the optimal harvesting times and corresponding optimal harvesting fractions (the percentage of shrimp stock extracted) to maximize total revenue. The main difficulty with this problem is that the selling price of shrimp is modelled as a piecewise constant function of the average shrimp weight and thus the revenue function is discontinuous. By performing a time-scaling transformation and introducing a set of auxiliary binary variables, we convert the shrimp harvesting problem into an equivalent optimization problem that has a smooth objective function. We then use an exact penalty method to solve this equivalent problem. We conclude the paper with a numerical example

Dynamic optimization of dual-mode hybrid systems with state-dependent switching conditions

This paper presents a computational approach for optimizing a class of hybrid systems in which the state dynamics switch between two distinct modes. The times at which the mode transitions occur cannot be specified directly, but are instead governed by a state-dependent switching condition. The control variables, which should be chosen optimally by the system designer, consist of a set of continuous-time input signals. By introducing an auxiliary binary-valued control function to represent the system's current mode, we show that any dual-mode hybrid system with state-dependent switching conditions can be transformed into a standard dynamic system subject to path constraints. We then develop a computational algorithm, based on control parameterization, the time-scaling transformation, and an exact penalty method, for determining the optimal piecewise constant input signals for the original hybrid system. A numerical example on cancer chemotherapy is included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm

A stochastic fleet composition problem

In this paper, we consider the problem of forming a new vehicle fleet, consisting of multiple vehicle types, to cater for uncertain future requirements. The problem is to choose the number of vehicles of each type to purchase so that the total expected cost of operating the fleet is minimized. The total expected cost includes fixed and variable costs associated with the fleet, as well as hiring costs that are incurred whenever vehicle requirements exceed fleet capacity. We develop a novel algorithm, which combines dynamic programming and the golden section method, for determining the optimal fleet composition. Numerical results show that this algorithm is highly effective, and takes just seconds to solve large-scale problems involving hundreds of different vehicle types

A computational method for solving time-delay optimal control problems with free terminal time

This paper considers a class of optimal control problems for general nonlinear time-delay systems with free terminal time. We first show that for this class of problems, the well-known time-scaling transformation for mapping the free time horizon into a fixed time interval yields a new time-delay system in which the time delays are variable. Then, we introduce a control parameterization scheme to approximate the control variables in the new system by piecewise-constant functions. This yields an approximate finite-dimensional optimization problem with three types of decision variables: the control heights, the control switching times, and the terminal time in the original system (which influences the variable time delays in the new system). We develop a gradient-based optimization approach for solving this approximate problem. Simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach

Optimal control problems involving constrained, switched, and delay systems

In this thesis, we develop numerical methods for solving five nonstandard optimal control problems. The main idea of each method is to reformulate the optimal control problem as, or approximate it by, a nonlinear programming problem. The decision variables in this nonlinear programming problem influence its cost function (and constraints, if it has any) implicitly through the dynamic system. Hence, deriving the gradient of the cost and the constraint functions is a difficult task. A major focus of this thesis is on developing methods for computing these gradients. These methods can then be used in conjunction with a gradient-based optimization technique to solve the optimal control problem efficiently.The first optimal control problem that we consider has nonlinear inequality constraints that depend on the state at two or more discrete time points. These time points are decision variables that, together with a control function, should be chosen in an optimal manner. To tackle this problem, we first approximate the control by a piecewise constant function whose values and switching times (the times at which it changes value) are decision variables. We then apply a novel time-scaling transformation that maps the switching times to fixed points in a new time horizon. This yields an approximate dynamic optimization problem with a finite number of decision variables. We develop a new algorithm, which involves integrating an auxiliary dynamic system forward in time, for computing the gradient of the cost and constraints in this approximate problem.The second optimal control problem that we consider has nonlinear continuous inequality constraints. These constraints restrict both the state and the control at every point in the time horizon. As with the first problem, we approximate the control by a piecewise constant function and then transform the time variable. This yields an approximate semi-infinite programming problem, which can be solved using a penalty function algorithm. A solution of this problem immediately furnishes a suboptimal control for the original optimal control problem. By repeatedly increasing the number of parameters used in the approximation, we can generate a sequence of suboptimal controls. Our main result shows that the cost of these suboptimal controls converges to the minimum cost.The third optimal control problem that we consider is an applied problem from electrical engineering. Its aim is to determine an optimal operating scheme for a switchedcapacitor DC-DC power converter—an electronic device that transforms one DC voltage into another by periodically switching between several circuit topologies. Specifically, the optimal control problem is to choose the times at which the topology switches occur so that the output voltage ripple is minimized and the load regulation is maximized. This problem is governed by a switched system with linear subsystems (each subsystem models one of the power converter’s topologies). Moreover, its cost function is non-smooth. By introducing an auxiliary dynamic system and transforming the time variable (so that the topology switching times become fixed), we derive an equivalent semi-infinite programming problem. This semi-infinite programming problem, like the one that approximates the continuously-constrained optimal control problem, can be solved using a penalty function algorithm.The fourth optimal control problem that we consider involves a general switched system, which includes the model of a switched-capacitor DC-DC power converter as a special case. This switched system evolves by switching between several subsystems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, each subsystem switch is accompanied by an instantaneous change in the state. These instantaneous changes—so-called state jumps—are influenced by control variables that, together with the subsystem switching times, should be selected in an optimal manner. As with the previous optimal control problems, we tackle this problem by transforming the time variable to obtain an equivalent problem in which the switching times are fixed. However, the functions governing the state jumps in this new problem are discontinuous. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce an approximate problem whose state jumps are governed by smooth functions. This approximate problem can be solved using a nonlinear programming algorithm. We prove an important convergence result that links the approximate problem’s solution with the original problem’s solution.The final optimal control problem that we consider is a parameter identification problem. The aim of this problem is to use given experimental data to identify unknown state-delays in a nonlinear delay-differential system. More precisely, the optimal control problem involves choosing the state-delays to minimize a cost function measuring the discrepancy between predicted and observed system output. We show that the gradient of this cost function can be computed by solving an auxiliary delay-differential system. On the basis of this result, the optimal control problem can be formulated—and hence solved—as a standard nonlinear programming problem

Cutting Plane Algorithms are Exact for Euclidean Max-Sum Problems

This paper studies binary quadratic programs in which the objective is defined by a Euclidean distance matrix, subject to a general polyhedral constraint set. This class of nonconcave maximisation problems includes the capacitated, generalised and bi-level diversity problems as special cases. We introduce two exact cutting plane algorithms to solve this class of optimisation problems. The new algorithms remove the need for a concave reformulation, which is known to significantly slow down convergence. We establish exactness of the new algorithms by examining the concavity of the quadratic objective in a given direction, a concept we refer to as directional concavity. Numerical results show that the algorithms outperform other exact methods for benchmark diversity problems (capacitated, generalised and bi-level), and can easily solve problems of up to three thousand variables