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This paper solves the controller tuning problem of machine-directional predictive control for multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) paper-making processes represented as superposition of first-order-plus-dead-time (FOPDT) components with uncertain model parameters. A user-friendly multi-variable tuning problem is formulated based on user-specified time domain specifications and then simplified based on the structure of the closed-loop system. Based on the simplified tuning problem and a proposed performance evaluation technique, a fast multi-variable tuning technique is developed by ignoring the constraints of the MPC. In addition, a technique to predict the computation time of the tuning algorithm is proposed. The efficiency of the proposed method is verified through Honeywell real time simulator platform with a MIMO paper-making process obtained from real data from an industrial site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium-dioxide-grafted carbon paper (CP@TiO 2 ) has been synthesized by pyrolysis of tetrabutyl-titanate-treated filter paper, which is a simple, large-scale, and green method, while the product is a superior material for immobilising sulfur as a flexible free-standing electrode for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. The as-synthesised CP@TiO 2 membrane is constructed of interlaced circuitous carbon fibers and TiO 2 nanoparticles distributed on/in the void among the carbon fibers. The CP@TiO 2 –S membrane retains the robust and flexible structure of the CP membrane after infiltrating the sulfur, and the sulfur particles are homogeneously distributed within the CP@TiO 2 . As a free-standing cathode, the CP@TiO 2 –S membrane exhibits superior electrochemical performance than the CP-S membrane, displaying a reversible discharge capacity of 850 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 0.5C and a specific capacity of 660 mAh g −1 at 5C. The superior electrochemical performance of the CP@TiO 2 –S membrane is ascribed to the synergetic effect between the interlaced carbon fibers of the CP membrane, which provides electronic conduction pathways and works as mechanical support, and the TiO 2 nanoparticles with relatively high surface area and pore volume, which could physically/chemically trap polysulfides. The results indicate that the CP@TiO 2 membrane owns potential suitability for efficient, free-standing, and high-performance batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Paper is an example of a valuable material that can be recycled and recovered. In this study, a two-stage stochastic revenue-maximization model is presented to determine a long-term strategy under uncertainty for a large-scale real-world paper recycling company. This network-design problem includes optimal recycling center locations and optimal flow amounts between the nodes in the multi-facility environment. The proposed model is formulated with two-stage stochastic mixed-integer and robust programming approaches. The models are solved by commercial software GAMS 21.6/CPLEX 9.0 and the results are compared. The study is followed by the analyses of the results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The terms consensus, guideline and position paper are sometimes employed as if they were interchangeable, but the purpose of such documents and the robustness of advice vary as the evidence base does not have the same depth in each. The Board of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society deemed it to be helpful to provide a short commentary on the definition of these terms, on their interconnections and on how ECFS considers them in documents endorsed by the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a recent paper by Jin Erdong and Sun Zhaowei [Robust controllers design with finite time convergence for rigid spacecraft attitude tracking control, Aerospace Science and Technology 12 (2008) 324–330], a terminal sliding mode control technique has been applied to the attitude control problem of rigid spacecraft. Unfortunately, the controller has singularity problem which will cause the instability of the closed-loop system of attitude tracking errors. In this article, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is presented to overcome this problem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To address the trajectory tracking issue of upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton with uncertainties and external disturbances, this paper proposes a fractional-order ultra-local model -based model-free finite-time robust controller (FO-FTRC) using predefined performance sliding surface. Different from previous model-free control strategies, a novel multi-input multi-output (MIMO) fractional-order ultra-local model which is a virtual model is proposed to approximate the complex uncertain nonlinear exoskeleton dynamics in a short sliding time window. This allows the design of controller to be independent of any exoskeleton model information and reduces the difficulty of controller design. The developed robust model-free control method incorporates a fractional-order quasi-time delay estimator (FO-QTDE), unknown disturbance estimator (UDE) as well as prescribed performance sliding mode control (PPSMC). The FO-QTDE is utilized to estimate the unknown lumped uncertainties which employs short time delayed knowledge only about the control input. However, the low-pass filter is always added for FO-QTDE when disturbances change fast, which leads to unavoidable estimation error. Then, UDE is designed to further eliminate the estimation error of FO-QTDE to enhance control performance. The PPSMC is constructed to converge sliding surface to zero in a finite time. Besides, the sliding surface is always limited in performance boundaries. After that, the overall system stability and convergence analyses are demonstrated by using the Lyapunov theorem. Finally, with the comparison to other methods of α -variable adaptive model free control (α -AMFC), time-delay estimation-based continuous nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller (TDE-CNFTSMC), time delay estimation (TDE)-based model-free fractional-order nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control (MFF-TSM) and fractional-order proportion–differential (PD β), the co-simulation results on 7-degree-of-freedom (DOF) iReHave upper-limb exoskeleton virtual prototype and experiment results on 2-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton are obtained to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed FO-FTRC method. • A fractional-order ULM is proposed to approximate complex exoskeleton to achieve MFC. • A QTDE and disturbance estimator is designed to eliminate the lumped uncertainties. • The paper achieves the FT stabilization under fractional-order ULM design framework. • The co-simulation experiments on 7-DOF iReHave exoskeleton and experiment on 2-DOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ESA Solar Orbiter was launched from Cape Canaveral in collaboration with NASA on the February 10, 2020 to start its journey around the Sun, with the commissioning phase ending in April 2020. After commissioning, ESA set a tighter pointing requirement goal to further improve the performance in Fine Pointing Mode, in preparation of the upcoming start of Science Phase. The first part of this paper outlines the end-to-end process which allowed - in just six months – to update the Fine Pointing Mode Design, re-tune the controller with refined assumptions taken from flight data and robust methods and execute full validation of the new AOCS Software on the Avionics Test bench at Airbus Defence and Space. The second part of the paper describes the upload in flight of the new Software and the analysis of the on-orbit pointing performance, which showed a significant improvement with respect to the previous one, thus contributing to the success of the Mission's scientific goals. • Solar Orbiter Payload Instruments required a better pointing jitter performance (Relative Pointing Error) after launch • Root cause analysis on flight telemetry to identify driver contributors to pointing error • Fine Pointing Mode controller design and tuning updated with refined inputs based on flight data and with robust control methods • Controller uploaded in flight significantly improved the Spacecraft pointing performance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a reasonable, practical, and novel method for designing a robust controller for two degrees of freedom nano-electromechanical scanners based on the combination of quantitative feedback theory (QFT) and the Taguchi method. Although the main primary of this paper devotes to rotational control, an investigation of two-degree freedom (rotational/bending) is studied by employing the Taguchi method. A moveable main plate suspended by two nano-beams over a fixed substrate electrode is used to represent the scanner. The nanoscanner is thoroughly analyzed using the most comprehensive modeling design, considering the elastic, electrical, Casimir force and moment, and squeezes film damping. The nanoscanner's governing equations are initially derived by considering both rotation and deformation. In addition, because the size dependency of materials is significant in ultra-small structures, we developed the constitutive equations within the context of the modified couple stress theory to integrate the effect of scale dependency. Next, system uncertainties have been wholly addressed to achieve an accurate model. As a result, using robust control methods such as quantitative feedback theory to precisely control nano-scanners in the presence of uncertainties is inevitable. The quantitative feedback approach transforms the nonlinear plant into a family of linear uncertain plants in the first part. This is accomplished using a fixed-point theorem, after which appropriate disturbance rejection boundaries are discovered. In this problem, quantitative feedback controllers and checking the system's stability at any frequency and time are intended to solve the tracking problem and the disturbance rejection issue. Due to the uncertainty associated with the system model's complexity and accuracy, we employ a QFT controller to control the system. Moreover, because this system has only one input and two outputs, and changing the controller's gain is complicated, the Taguchi method has been employed to enhance better performance. Nonlinear simulations of the tracking issue are carried out, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed controllers and prefilters. The findings show that using the suggested approach effectively overcomes the challenges to robust control of a nonlinear rotational nanoscanner, and also the system achieves the best angle and deflection adjustment accuracy. [Display omitted] • Mathematical modeling of a Torsion/Bending of Rotational Nanoscanner and comparing control method with experimental data. • If a user inputs erroneous voltage to reach system's output, the control approach automatically corrects the system input. • Designing SIMO (Single Input Multi Output) robust controller using Taguchi Method in the presence of uncertainties. • Modifying controllers in a system using the Taguchi method ensures stability and output without adverse effects. • Nonlinear simulations of the tracking issue are carried out, and the results shoe the effectiveness of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The 6-DOF attitude-orbit coupled model of SFF is established. The model has no redundant state and can be achieved globally without singularity. • A FxTDO is developed to estimate the external disturbance. Any prior knowledge of the disturbance is not required. The estimation error of the disturbance can converge to zero in fixed time regardless of the initial states. • A composite control scheme which consists of the NFFTSM surface and a feed-forward term based on the FxTDO is proposed such that each follower spacecraft can track the desired positions and attitudes in fixed time. This paper presents a distributed fixed-time control protocol for 6-DOF(degree-of-freedom) attitude-orbit coupled spacecraft formation flying with external disturbances. Firstly, the 6-DOF attitude-orbit coupled dynamics is established. The communication topology between the spacecraft in the formation is described by a directed graph. Secondly, a fixed-time disturbance observer (FxTDO) is designed to ensure that the estimation errors of the unknown external disturbances can converge to zero in fixed time. Thirdly, based on non-singular fixed-time terminal sliding mode (NFFTSM) surface, the fixed-time coordination control protocol is proposed combined with the fixed-time disturbance observer, which can guarantee that each spacecraft can track their desirable positions and attitudes in fixed time. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved through Lyapunuov method. Finally, simulation results for a formation with one virtual leader and five followers demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agility of satellites equipped with large and flexible structures, such as solar panels or antennas, poses a significant challenge due to the influence of elastic dynamics on attitude motion. This results in reduced pointing accuracy and dimensional stability of the payload. To address this issue, an Active Collocated Attitude Control (ACAC) system has been developed, utilizing actuators for both the elastic dynamics (distributed piezoelectric devices) and attitude control (ON-OFF thrusters). In the initial phase of the project, the algorithm underwent extensive verification using a high-fidelity numerical model of a spacecraft with two very-low frequency flexible solar panels and a payload consisting of two long booms and a transversal antenna's reflector. The paper focuses on the second phase of the project, which revolves around the experimental verification of the control architecture concept. To achieve this, a scaling procedure employing the dynamic analogy approach was implemented to determine the design parameters of a free-floating platform equipped with elastic appendages. This ensured that the resulting elastic multibody system displayed similar dynamic behavior to the full-scale satellite. Based on the scaling parameters, a test rig was manufactured, and actuators and sensors were optimally positioned. The performance of the ACAC system was then compared to that of traditional benchmark controllers. The results show that the ACAC system demonstrates superior capabilities in performing fast slew maneuvers without developing unstable interactions with the elastic dynamics. • Agile maneuvers of large satellites could excite rigid-flexible interactions. • A robust control of attitude and elastic dynamics is implemented to improve agility. • Performance obtained with numerical models is verified with scaled-down test-rig. • Simplified dynamic equations are developed to determine scaling conditions. • Experimental results of the robust control are consistent with simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on robust attitude control issues for spacecraft formation in gravitational-wave detection missions. Notably, with the large-scale communication delays brought by the million kilometers-scale inter-satellite distance, the exponential convergence of the closed-loop delayed system is firstly achieved via a new delay-dependent nominal attitude coordinated control scheme. Then, a finite-time disturbance observer is deployed to reconstruct the unknown lumped disturbance from internal uncertainties and the external environment. Meanwhile, an integral sliding manifold is embedded in the delay-dependent attitude controller for superior systems' robustness. Finally, two simulation examples illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed attitude control strategy for in-orbit gravitational-wave detection spacecraft systems. • Spacecraft formation attitude control in gravitational-wave detection is studied. • Large-scale communication delays (LCD) among formation members are firstly modeled. • An attitude coordinated controller is put forward to handle the LCD. • An integral sliding manifold with disturbance observer is embedded for superior robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty can lead to jitter or overshoot in mechanical systems, necessitating the design of multiple constraints to stabilize them. This paper proposes a control structure based on the generalized Udwadia–Kalaba equation to address these constraints simultaneously. An uncertain dynamical model is developed, incorporating both equality and inequality constraints. By integrating diffeomorphism theory, a robust control strategy is designed to ensure compliance with these constraints. Utilizing the Lyapunov approach, the uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness of the dynamical system are demonstrated. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed control method is validated through its application to a belt conveyor system. • Equality constraints and inequality constraints are simultaneously considered in dynamical system based on the generalized Udwadia–Kalaba approach. • A robust control for handling inequality constraints that does not affect equality constraints is designed. • The robust control can render the uncertain system uniformly bounded and uniformly ultimately bounded. • The method is proposed of applying inequality constraints to belt conveyors to avoid belt breakage and folding faults in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an anti-unwinding adaptive robust backstepping control law is proposed to solve the attitude control problem of rigid spacecraft with external disturbances and inertia uncertainties. A new variable based on hyperbolic sine functions is designed to prevent the unwinding phenomenon, and then a novel robust backstepping controller is developed. Initially, a nonlinear tracking law is designed to obtain the desired angular velocity and to ensure that the attitude maneuvering system could have two equilibrium points. Subsequently, an adaptive robust control law is devised, which incorporates the adaptive estimation method to update the inertial parameters in real-time. Moreover, the bounded external disturbances are taken into account in the design of the control law, and thus the robustness of the attitude control system is improved. Furthermore, the global asymptotic stability of the attitude control system is verified by the Lyapunov-Krasovskii theorem. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control law, as well as the anti-unwinding characteristics are perfectly validated during the attitude maneuver of rigid spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denial of services (DoS) attacks exist in wind integrated power system. DoS attacks can cause network-induced delay and packages loss in information transmission. Meanwhile, considering the parameter perturbation of controller and system model uncertainty in wind integrated power system, these may cause the system dynamic performances degradation or even instability. Based on the above considerations, the joint non-fragile automatic generation robust control of wind integrated power system under DoS attacks is studied in this paper. In order to ensure the expected system performance and more effectively utilize the limited network communication resources under DoS attacks, a novel dynamic multi-event driven mechanism based joint non-fragile H ∞ automatic generation control method is proposed. By constructing a suitable Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and utilizing the Shur complement lemma to handle nonlinear matrix inequality, the sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the asymptotic stability of wind integrated power system under DoS attacks. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed non-fragile regulator is demonstrated through a four-area wind integrated power system to show the feasibility and applicability. The analysis result indicates that the proposed scheme provides stronger robustness, higher wind energy utilization efficiency and more efficient communication mechanism. [Display omitted] • A multi-event driven mechanism (MEDM) based joint non-fragile control scheme is derived. • The wind-integrated power system model based on MEDM is established. • The MEDM is integrated into the joint non-fragile controller design under DoS attacks. • The MEDM based joint non-fragile H ∞ automatic generation control strategy is proposed. • It provides stronger robustness and higher wind energy utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a tube-based model predictive control strategy for linear systems with bounded disturbances and input delay to ensure input-to-state stability. Firstly, the actual disturbed system is decomposed into a nominal system without disturbances and an error system. For the nominal system, solving an optimization problem, where the delayed control input is set as an optimization variable, yields a nominal control law that enables the nominal state signal to approach to zero. Then, for the error system, the Razumikhin approach is used to identify a robust control invariant set. Using the set invariance theorem, an ancillary control law is developed to confine the error state signal in the invariant set. Combining the two results, we obtain a control law that enables the state signal to remain within a robustly invariant tube. Finally, the effectiveness of the developed control strategy is validated by simulations. • An ancillary control is used to ensure the state errors stay in the invariant set. • A constraint on the delayed input is added to ensure feasibility of the algorithm. • By introducing a state error term, a novel Lyapunov function is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a two-loop control framework for robotic manipulator systems subject to state constraints and input saturation, which effectively integrates planning and control strategies. Namely, a stability controller is designed in the inner loop to address uncertainties and nonlinearities; an optimization-based generator is constructed in the outer loop to ensure that state and input constraints are obeyed while concurrently minimizing the convergence time. Furthermore, to dramatically the computational burden, the optimization-based generator in the outer loop is switched to a direct model-based generator when the tracking errors are sufficiently small. In this way, both a high tracking accuracy and fast dynamic response are obtained for constrained robotic manipulator systems with considerably lower computational burden. The superiority and effectiveness of the proposed structure are illustrated through comparative simulations and experiments. • A general and systematic constrained control scheme for robotic manipulators. • Nonlinearities, uncertainties, state and input constraints are considered. • Adaptive robust controller is designed for high tracking accuracy. • Optimization-based generator is designed for fast dynamic response. • Experiments on Franka robotic manipulator reveal the effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the stabilization problem with a fixed-time approach for a flexible spacecraft subject to vibrations of flexible modes, unknown bounded disturbance, and inherent uncertainty. To estimate the modal variables of a flexible spacecraft which are often unmeasurable in practice, an observer with guaranteed fixed-time convergence is designed. Using the estimated modal variables, a fixed-time non-singular sliding mode controller is designed so that the desired attitude can be reached before a pre-specified time threshold regardless of the spacecraft's initial attitude. By incorporating the estimated modal variables in the control design, significant reduction in the steady-state error of the system response is achieved. The proposed control system is further enhanced with an adaptive law to increase robustness against unknown external disturbances and uncertainties. Stability analysis based on Lyapunov theory guarantees the convergence of observer estimation error and spacecraft attitude error to a pre-determined set before a fixed threshold. Simulation results validate the promising performance of the proposed control system, highlighting its effectiveness in achieving accurate and robust attitude control for flexible spacecraft. • A fixed-time observer with guaranteed convergence is designed. • A fixed-time non-singular sliding mode controller is developed to guide the spacecraft's attitude towards a desired target. • To further enhance the robustness of the control system, an adaptive law is integrated into the proposed controller. • The stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously analyzed using Lyapunov theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) in many fields has created new challenges. A critical issue is wheel slip, which, if not accurately determined and controlled, causes instability and deviation from the robot's path. In this paper, an intelligent approach for estimating the longitudinal and lateral slip of wheels is proposed that can effectively compensate for the negative effects of slippage. The proposed algorithm relies on three regression networks to estimate the longitudinal slip ratio of the right and left wheels and sideslip angle on terrains with different friction coefficients. The datasets collected during tests on different surfaces with various maneuvers are used to train the artificial neural networks (ANNs). A developed dynamic model of a WMR considering wheel slip and modified traction force is presented. The adaptive robust controller, based on sliding mode control (SMC), is introduced to deal with the problems related to slipping, unknown uncertainties, and disturbances. The simulation results demonstrate that the presented controller has better performance than SMC in handling external disturbances and uncertainties, which leads to reduction in tracking error and faster convergence to zero. The proposed controller with an intelligent slip estimator, has been applied to a four-wheel mobile robot to demonstrate its effectiveness and feasibility. The high accuracy of slip estimation in the mentioned intelligent algorithm has resulted in the presented method being on average 26% more effective in reducing the tracking error than the control method without slip compensation in each test for circular trajectory. • Developing a dynamic model of WMR using modified traction force. • Proposing slip estimator based on an intelligent learning for both longitudinal and lateral slip. • Eliminating the time delay in slip estimation and compensating for its effect in the same time step by predicting the slip amount. • Improved robot performance in trajectory tracking on slippery surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path-tracking and lane-keeping tasks are critical to guarantee safety and navigation performance considerations for deploying autonomous cars. This paper presents a novel control framework for the path-tracking control of high-speed autonomous cars with structured uncertainties. This study introduces a nonlinear adaptive control system based on a fractional-order terminal sliding mode system while incorporating a novel Gaussian Nonsingleton type-3 fuzzy system (FOTSM-NT3FS). Therefore, the proposed controller is independent of the information about the ego vehicle's dynamic information, and instead, the dynamics are approximated through a developed NT3FLS. The developed control system exhibits robustness to measurement errors and faulty sensors, because the inputs to the NT3FS are uncertain. In order to guarantee the boundedness of the adaptation parameters, the σ − mod approach is employed. The Lyapunov stability theorem and Barbalat's lemma are used to ensure the uniform ultimate boundedness of the closed loop system and the convergence of tracking errors to the origin in finite time. High-fidelity co-simulations with CarSim and MATLAB are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme and are also compared to other reported methods in the literature. Based on the obtained results, the schemed controller exhibits competitive effectiveness in path-tracking tasks and strong efficiency under various road conditions, parametric uncertainties, and unknown disturbances. • Robust path tracking for uncertain-input cars, ensuring reliability despite errors. • Adaptive control with fuzzy integration for high-speed autonomy, precise maneuvering. • Stable navigation using Gaussian Nonsingleton type-3 fuzzy system, smooth tracking. • Efficient path tracking under uncertainties, outperforming existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigation and proximity to non-cooperative targets have garnered the interest of both academia and industry. This paper proposes a new space operation concept that would enable two CubeSats equipped with only optical sensor to achieve autonomous and robust proximity with uncooperative satellites. This is a novel strategy for distributed spacecraft missions and applications. Because optical sensors are lightweight and therefore reduce reliance on external measurement sources, the case for their use is compelling. Designing robust guidance and control algorithm is the greatest challenge for optical sensors because relative distance information is unavailable, whereas range information is required for safe proximity. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel concept in which two CubeSats cooperate and share angle measurement data to approach uncooperative targets despite their maneuverability. This paper introduces a new guidance scheme for proximity operations, namely cooperative augmented proportional navigation (CAPN). Modern control law is applied along line-of-sight (LOS) while classical proportional navigation is applied in the normal direction of LOS. By measuring only elevation and azimuth angles between each chaser and the target, the algorithm can account for a maneuvering target. The cooperative scheme offers estimation-based distance measurement, which enhances the observability of angle-only navigation. Target's maneuverability and different control parameter settings have been considered in simulation scenarios. The degree of observability (DOO) is then introduced as the quantitative observability analysis metric to validate the effectiveness of the guidance scheme and precision of the estimation. The results of simulations have demonstrated that the CAPN proposed in this paper is capable of completing challenging proximity missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a sample entropy (SampEn) based prescribed performance controller (SPPC) for the longitudinal control of a supersonic tailless aircraft subject to model uncertainty and nonlinearity. Considering that SampEn can evaluate the system's stability, a SampEn-based feedback adjust system (SFAS) is developed in this paper. With the help of SFAS, the SPPC could identify the dangerous chattering in the status signal that may lead the aircraft to lose control and make appropriate adjustments to feedback. Besides, the SPPC does not require any accurate model information and only needs to know the rough trend of dynamic functions. Although no adaptive or robust control mechanisms are introduced, the SPPC shows robustness against model uncertainty utilizing the nonlinear error feedback. Compared with traditional prescribed performance control (TPPC), the SPPC achieves better performance and safer flight. The whole control structure is developed through the backstepping technique, and the closed-loop stability is proved. At last, the advance of SPPC is verified via simulation using a high-fidelity tailless aircraft model, and the inner mechanisms of SPPC are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successive approximation techniques are effective approaches to solve the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB)/Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs (HJI) equations in nonlinear H 2 and H ∞ optimal control problems (OCPs), but residual errors in the solving process may destroy its convergence property, and related numerical methods also pose computational burden and difficulties. In this paper, the HJB/HJI partial differential equations (PDEs) for infinite-horizon nonlinear H 2 and H ∞ OCPs are handled in a unified formulation, and a sparse successive approximation method is proposed. Taking advantage of successive approximation techniques, the nonlinear HJB/HJI PDEs are transformed into sequences of easily solvable linear PDEs, to which the solutions can be computed point-wise by handling simple initial value problems. Extra constraints are also incorporated in the solving process to guarantee the convergence under residual errors. The sparse grid based collocation points and basis functions are then employed to enable efficient numerical implementation. The performance of the proposed method is also numerically demonstrated in simulations. • The proposed method handles nonlinear H 2 and H ∞ problems with a unified formulation. • Residual errors are explicitly considered in the designed numerical scheme. • The scale of the resultant quadratic programming problem only grows polynomially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for high-performance motion control of the dual-valve hydraulic system subject to parameter and model uncertainties, unknown proportional valve dead-zone, and servo valve fault. By constructing a detailed dual-valve fault system model (DFSM), a disturbance observer-based adaptive robust fault-tolerant controller is proposed via the backstepping method. This controller integrates a model-based fault detection algorithm for real-time fault monitoring and subsequent controller reconfiguration. Additionally, the DFSM-based adaptive robust control (ARC) technique is applied to handle the unknown dead-zone problem and other nonlinearities, ensuring precise control. Once the servo valve fault occurs, a nonlinear observer estimates the fault and collaborates with the ARC to establish a reconfigured controller, thereby maintaining motion control. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been experimentally verified. • The novel fault-tolerant control algorithm for dual-valve hydraulic system is investigated. • The novel dual-valve faults system model is proposed. • The model-based fault detection algorithm and nonlinear disturbance observer are established. • The advanced adaptive robust fault-tolerant controller is designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical systems subject to constraints play a essential role in the field of control engineering, profoundly influencing the design and performance of control strategies. Consequently, there is a compelling need to explore diverse control methods to effectively tackle the complex task of stabilizing nonlinear systems while ensuring the constraints are not violated. In this context, this paper proposes a design procedure for position-constrained controllers in robot manipulators. The solution relies on the construction of a diffeomorphism (a differentiable coordinate transformation) that maps all the trajectories of the constrained dynamics into an unconstrained one. The controller design is carried out in the unconstrained dynamics without dealing directly with the constraints. The proposed family of controllers employ an explicit control law which circumvents the need for additional time-consuming computation for feasibility and/or optimization. Moreover, the proposed controller is parametrized by a class of diffeomorphisms which can be selected by the designer. Exponential stability in constrained and unconstrained position states is achieved, in the certain case. For the uncertain case, the controller is augmented through sliding modes guaranteeing finite-time convergence towards the manifold and keeping the exponential convergence within the manifold dynamics. The approach is validated through experiments in an actual 2 DOF lightweight robot manipulator. • A diffeomorphism-based control law for MIMO constrained nonlinear systems. • The explicit controller ensures (local) exponential convergence of the all states. • A robustification of the controller to deal with uncertainties via sliding modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a delayed distributed proportional control is developed for a class of multiple-input-multiple-output systems in order to reduce the effects of external disturbances and uncertain dynamics. The system under consideration is a three degrees-of-freedom planar robot, consisting of an active joint driving the first link and passive flexible joints for the second and third links. The control challenge for this system is to drive the flexible arm around the desired setpoint or trajectory by controlling the first link. Actually, by using a specific Lyapunov-Krasovskii storage functional associated with a constrained optimization problem, the robustness of the proposed proportional retarded control action is achieved. This analysis, together with the attractive ellipsoid concept allows to conclude with Ultimately-Uniformly-Bounded stability. The closed-loop control algorithm is tested in numerical simulation and a comparative study with some existing recent control schemes based on the performance error is presented. • The proposed control scheme belongs to a class of multivariable proportional time delay distributed controller. • After finite time the trajectories of a flexible manipulator stay within reduced size attractive ellipsoid. • Ultimate Uniformly Bounded Stability of the controlled system is demonstrated by using a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. • The proposed algorithm can also be adapted for a class of nonlinear uncertain/disturbed multivariable output systems. • A sufficient condition to guarantee the feasibility of specific Bilinear Matrix Inequality is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a fixed-time tracking control for robot manipulators in the presence of parametric uncertainties and disturbances. An auxiliary function is first proposed for constructing a fixed-time sliding manifold. Benefited from this fixed-time sliding manifold, a singularity-free robust control is proposed to evade the effects of algebraic loop problem of the commonly-used sliding mode controls (SMC). The key advantages of the proposed approach are: (i) exact fixed-time stability featuring the convergence time does not relate to the initial conditions and is acquired in advance; (ii) the singularity and algebraic loop problems are eliminated completely; (iii) a simple and intuitive control structure is used for easy implementation of trajectory tracking control for uncertain robot manipulators with faster transient and higher steady-state precision. Simulations and experimental comparisons validate the improved tracking performance of the proposed approach. • Propose a non-singular terminal sliding mode control with fixed-time convergence. • Prove exact fixed-time tracking stability. • Features include exact fixed-time stability with simple structure. • Demonstrate the improved performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the underactuated and unstable nature, the control of unmanned bicycle robots is a challenge. The presence of unknown and time-varying uncertainties in the system adds to the difficulty of control for the unmanned bicycle robot. From the perspective of constraint-following, this paper proposes a new control approach to address uncertainties in the unmanned bicycle robot system. The uncertainties of the unmanned bicycle robot system are constrained within certain limits, but the bounds are unknown, which can pose a challenge for designing a control approach. Through the implementation of a leakage-type adaptive law that modifies the control system in accordance with tracking errors, the potential exists to confine the boundaries of uncertainties. The performance of uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness is shown by the Lyapunov stability theory. Numerical simulation of a representative case is performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control. • A controlled system is studied to follow a set of prescribed constraints. • Uncertainties are described as degree information based on fuzzy set theory. • An adaptive robust control is designed based on constraint-following. • Uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness can be guaranteed. • The proposed control is demonstrated by unmanned bicycle robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of robust state- and output-feedback control for uncertain discrete-time systems with physical magnitude and rate constraints on their actuator dynamics was addressed. Unlike the traditional methods such as anti-windup (AW) methods, nested ellipsoids, model predictive controllers (MPCs) and integral quadratic constraints(IQCs) formulated by sector bounded inequalities, this paper uses a transformation of the system dynamics to a form which considers control signal and its rate as controlled outputs and using discrete-time ℓ ∞ induced (peak-to-peak) norm from disturbance inputs to these outputs. To cope with the magnitude and rate bound non-linearities together, the induced ℓ ∞ norm from disturbance input to the outputs involving control signal and its rate is utilised. On the other hand, discrete-time(DT) induced ℓ 2 norm from disturbance input to the main controlled output is used to mitigate the effects of disturbances. We can tackle this ambitious non-linear control problem in the domain of linear convex multi-objective optimal control problem, which can be solved by effective semi-definite optimisation methods by using the proposed transformation and handling the control constraints in terms of worst case peak-to-peak gain of the system. Extended Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) and full block S-procedure based design conditions developed over Linear Fractional Representation(LFR) framework allow the user to obtain robust state- and output-feedback control solutions with reduced conservatism. For the first time, this paper introduces an extended LMI based robust output-feedback control design for magnitude and rate bounded (MRB) systems, using full block S-procedure. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed controller through several simulations over benchmark examples covering systems having multi-variable structures and uncertainties. Our study also involves comparison results with a recently introduced technique based on multi-stage AW technique. The simulation results show that the proposed method of this paper is much effective and less conservative compared to the recent AW method provided in the literature. • A robust dynamic-output feedback controller is provided for systems with constraints. • Multi-objective topology is used with acceleration form representation of the process. • To deal with uncertainties, full block S-procedure is adapted to the design. • The method provides an alternative to recently developed anti windup techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern space missions for Earth Observation (EO) purposes often rely on satellites equipped with very large flexible appendages, such as antennas and solar panels, which are demanded to perform agile slew manoeuvres. In most cases, the elasticity of such systems cannot be neglected in the design of the attitude controller, as excessive elastic displacements of the structural elements may compromise their stability and pointing performance. In this scenario, this paper aims at proposing an automated nested optimization framework to simultaneously optimize spacecraft structural and control dynamics, to be applicable to a wide range of flexible spacecraft. The objective of such a co-design architecture is to modify design parameters, at both structural and control levels, to minimize the mass of the spacecraft while maximizing its agility and satisfying imposed requirements. Moreover, as robust multivariable techniques have become more and more applied to ensure satisfactory robust performance margins, this paper's goal is to pose a multi-channel structured H ∞ control architecture in the co-design problem. To guarantee the generality of implementation, a structural design tool (MSC Nastran) is interfaced with a coding environment (Matlab/Simulink) to set-up an autonomous exchange of information between structural and control domains. Starting from an initial definition of the spacecraft material, geometry and control requirements (in terms of loop-shaping transfer functions), relevant parameters are extracted from the structural tool and a linearized dynamic model assembled. Then, a controller is synthetized based on the provided requirements, followed by a verification on the nonlinear plant of the satellite. The procedure is repeated until the stop criteria (based on tolerance and max iterations) is satisfied. Finally, the output of the proposed architecture is obtained as an optimized structural model and robust controller tailored for the satellite dynamics. • The problem of structural/control co-design of flexible spacecraft is addressed. • A general framework interfacing a commercial finite element code and a coding environment is proposed. • The architecture is posed as a nested robust optimization. • A case study composed of a satellite with two flexible solar panels is proposed. • The framework is tested on the satellite non linear model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To handle the tracking control problem of the magnetic wheeled mobile robot (MWMR), this paper developed an online robust tracking control scheme by adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). The problem, that how to achieve optimal tracking control of continuous-time (CT) MWMR system with the time-varying unknown uncertainty, can be solved indirectly through matching the optimal tracking control of the associated nominal system. A single critic NN-based actor-critic structure is tailored for simpler controller architecture. By minimizing the Bellman error with gradient descending and least-squares updating laws, the critic NN weights can be optimized online. Thus the optimal cost function and the optimal control signal can be approximated with high precision. Using the Lyapunov stability theorem, the convergence of the critic NN weights, and the stability of the closed-loop system is provided. Simulations, in comparison with robust PD control and adaptive control, are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking control method for the MWMR. • For the magnetic wheeled mobile robot, a robust tracking control scheme based on ADP is developed in this paper. • With single critic NN based ADP and the filter tracking error-based control system state variable simplifies the control structure. • The equivalence of robust tracking control and optimal tracking control is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, cooperative robotic manipulators under uncertain base coordinate are investigated. The coordinate uncertainties result in biases of cooperative robotic dynamics, which involve horizontal and vertical translational errors in the task space and rotational errors in the joint space. To the best of our knowledge, uncertainties in the base coordinate system of cooperative robotic manipulators have drawn little attention in existing literature. To solve this problem, this paper presents an adaptive robust controller for the synchronized control of two cooperative robotic manipulators. An adaptive neural network associated with base coordinate parameter adaption law is proposed to estimate the cooperative system parameters given unknown system dynamics and base coordinate uncertainties. A synchronization-factor-based robust slide mode controller is then derived to stabilize the target position and internal force between the cooperative manipulators. Mathematical proof and numerical experiments under various conditions are conducted. The results demonstrate the satisfactory and effective convergences of both the cooperative robotic trajectory and internal force despite of uncertainties in the base coordinate system. • The base uncertainties including both translation and rotation errors are modelled. • A base coordinate parameter adaption law is proposed. • Adaptive neural network is proposed to estimate cooperative system uncertainties. • A virtual synchronization-factor-based robust sliding controller is presented. • Position and internal force tracking errors quickly converge to zero in four cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to tackle the three-dimensional trajectory tracking problems of small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles subject to nonlinearities, uncertainties and wind disturbances via adaptive techniques. The control objective is to efficiently control the thrust and the deflections of control surfaces to ensure the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at a specified location within a given time frame. However, achieving this goal for small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles can be challenging because the precise dynamic model and several parameters are not accessible, making most existing control strategies unworkable. Motivated by these facts, based on feedback linearization techniques, we derive linear models with equivalent disturbances to describe the translational dynamics without requiring precise aerodynamic force model information. To deal with the dilemmas where the norm bounds of equivalent disturbances depend on control inputs, system states, and unknown disturbances, a novel robust adaptive control strategy is designed for position control. Based on the assumption of two-time separation, the control scheme incorporates two parts, namely, a position controller containing the horizontal-plane and altitude parts and a robust filter-based attitude regulator. Also, to prevent chattering issues, we design a practical and robust adaptive position controller under which the tracking error is ultimately bounded The overall closed-loop stability is theoretically investigated based on the Lyapunov arguments. Hardware-in-loop simulation experiments are performed to testify our developed control scheme. • A novel robust adaptive control strategy is proposed to deal with the uncertainties related to not only system states but also to control inputs. • A cascade control strategy is employed to solve the trajectory tracking problems of fixed-wing UAVs. • A robust adaptive three-dimensional trajectory tracking controller is designed. • Hardware-in-Loop simulations are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the regulation of water quality influencers such as Organic Nitrogen, Ammonia Nitrogen, Nitrate Nitrogen, Dissolved Organic Carbon and Dissolved Oxygen for a sub-surface flow horizontal wetland in a controlled environment. The plant uncertainty is quantified by using measurement data. The robust control of the process is achieved using a decentralized quantitative feedback theory based control strategy. The control structure also employs a feed-forward mechanism to minimize loop interactions and feedback control to ensure stability, tracking and disturbance rejection. The numerical simulations and hardware-in-loop implementation show that the performance specifications are robustly met. • The control of water quality deciding variables by using a constructed wetland • The parametric uncertainty is quantified using measurement data collected • A decentralized quantitative feedback theory based robust controller is adopted • Each loop is equipped with feed-forward controllers to minimize coupling effects • Performance is verified by numerical simulation and hardware-in-Loop validation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the control problems of distributed attitude coordination for multiple flexible spacecraft based on the feedback of inertial vector measurements. It is assumed that the angular velocity information is not available, and the modal variable cannot be measured. The orientation error model with vector measurements is introduced. And then the distributed attitude synchronization control scheme is presented without actuator faults or disturbances. It is guaranteed that the desired equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable and the undesired equilibrium is unstable. Meanwhile, the domain of attraction is given by inequality constraints. In the case that there exist actuator faults and external disturbances, a robust fault-tolerant control strategy is developed to realize attitude synchronization. The hyperbolic tangent function in place of sign function is adopted to eliminate external disturbances. Meanwhile, the adaptive laws are proposed to estimate actuator faults. The salient feature of these control approaches is that no modal variable observers are utilized and the control schemes are robust to the inertia uncertainty of spacecraft. Finally, numerical simulations are implemented to manifest the validity of the presented control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that induction motors consume active and reactive energy from the utility grid to operate; additionally, when a power converter drives the motor, a high content of current harmonics is produced, and both circumstances decrease the utility grid power factor, which later requires to be improved. To this end, this paper presents a novel complete solution through a robust control system employed in a back-to-back topology power converter to deliver, instead of consuming, regulated reactive power toward the main grid, which comes from a capacitor bank in a DC-bus. This salient feature of delivering reactive power, and simultaneously, regulating the speed for an induction motor, becomes one of the contributions of this work to enhance the power factor. The robust converter controller is synthesized in a cascade form, by applying the linearization block control and state-feedback techniques. These techniques are combined with the super-twisting strategy for canceling the nonlinearities and the effect of the external disturbances. The complete system consists of a back-to-back converter, an LCL filter coupled to the main grid for mitigating the current harmonic content, and an induction motor under variable load conditions. Experimental tests expose the performance and robustness of the proposed controller, where a robust control for the reactive power acts under sudden changes in the active power produced through abrupt variations in the motor load. [Display omitted] • To deliver regulated reactive power for power factor enhancement in the utility grid. • Simultaneously, regulating the induction motor speed through a robust control system. • To present experimental results for validating the proposed cascade control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an iterative neural network adaptive robust control (INNARC) strategy is proposed for the maglev planar motor (MLPM) to achieve good tracking performance and uncertainty compensation. The INNARC scheme consists of adaptive robust control (ARC) term and iterative neural network (INN) compensator in a parallel structure. The ARC term founded on the system model realizes the parametric adaptation and promises the closed-loop stability. The INN compensator based on the radial basis function (RBF) neural network is employed to handle the uncertainties resulted from the unmodeled non-linear dynamics in the MLPM. Additionally, the iterative learning update laws are introduced to tune the network parameters and weights of the INN compensator simultaneously, so the approximation accuracy is improved along the system repetition. The stability of the INNARC method is proved via the Lyapunov theory, and the experiments are conducted on an home-made MLPM. The results consistently demonstrate that the INNARC strategy possesses the satisfactory tracking performance and uncertainty compensation, and the proposed INNARC is an effective and systematic intelligent control method for MLPM. • A iterative neural network scheme with network parameters and weights tuned via iterative learning is proposed to improve the uncertainty approximation capability. • The proposed scheme integrating of model-based and data-based method improves the tracking performance of the maglev planar motor. • The stability of maglev planar motor regulated by the proposed iterative neural network adaptive robust control method is proved via Lyapunov theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an adaptive fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode (AFNTSMC) control scheme combined with the independent joint control approach for trajectory tracking of three-axis gimbal platforms (GPs) mounted on a moving vehicle subjected to external disturbances. To achieve accurate images taken by the camera mounted on the GP, the motions and vibrations of the vehicle must be isolated from the camera. Thus, precise mathematical modeling of a three-axis GP with considering the external disturbances is studied, such that the GP tracks the target accurately and holds the line of sight stationary. Various tests with different vehicle conditions are performed to collect the movement data to be considered as the desired input for the GP. Thanks to the utilization of AFNTSMC, fast convergence together with simultaneous accurate trajectory tracking and strong robustness can be ensured. Corresponding comparative simulation results validate the effectiveness of the theoretical design results and superiorities of the proposed method over the existing methods. • This paper presents the precise modeling of a three-axis gimbal platform (GP) with considering the external disturbances. • An adaptive fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode control scheme is proposed to deal with the control problem of GP with real input data in the presence of external disturbances. • The chattering phenomenon is alleviated without deteriorating the robustness of the system. • Comparison results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a sampled-data robust controller, applied to a 2-DoF helicopter system, is proposed in this paper. The helicopter presents a nonlinear dynamics, which is modeled in this paper using a quasi-LPV approach, thus allowing the application of convex LMI conditions for the determination of the desired controllers. The robustness against effects such as sampling rate variation, noise and modeling approximations is assured mainly through a guaranteed bound for the L 2 norm. Also, a performance index based on the H 2 concept is used for the synthesis procedure, which is one of the main contributions of this paper. An algorithm is proposed to optimize the performance while guaranteeing the desired robustness. The analysis and validation of the proposed synthesis procedure are performed both through computational simulations and by applying the controllers on a physical 2-DoF helicopter, which could be satisfactorily stabilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new method that uses the equivalent-input-disturbance (EID) approach to estimate the wind load of a seismically isolated building. To verify the control performance of wind-resistant design methods and devices, wind-load data are important for structural design of skyscrapers. However, wind loads cannot be measured directly and is usually estimated based on structural responses. Previous studies focused on a building model in which the damping coefficient is proportional to a linear combination of mass and stiffness (referred to as Rayleigh damping). These existing methods cannot be directly applied to a seismically isolated building because its damping is not Rayleigh damping. Moreover, a structural model usually contains uncertainties caused by modeling errors that cause the degradation of estimation performance. To solve these problems, this paper combines the EID approach with a robust control strategy to design a wind-load estimator for a seismically isolated building with uncertainties. First, the configuration of an EID-based estimation system is shown. Next, a robust wind-load estimator is presented. Then, simulations are carried out to demonstrate the validity of the presented method using wind-load data obtained from a wind-tunnel test. An 11-degree-of-freedom model of a seismically isolated building is used for numerical verification. The results show that, even if a model contains 20% uncertainties, the presented method accurately estimates the wind load of a seismically isolated building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct Torque Control (DTC) scheme introduces a robust and simple control of electrical drive. However, its shortcomings such as broad torque ripple and variable switching frequency have offered several improvements like Space Vector Modulation (SVM) strategy, multilevel inverter (MLI) topology, etc. The conventional DTC which is fed by the two-level inverter has limited voltage vector, results in some difficulties to optimize the operation, especially at low operating speed. In contrast to MLI, the abundant of voltage vector has provided various amplitudes and angles that can overcome the problem of conventional DTC. Thus, this paper introduces the selected optimal voltage vector obtained from five-level Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) inverter that employs in DTC hysteresis-based to achieve better optimization that similar to the DTC-SVM. Initially, the research work begins with an investigation on the performance comparison between a DTC hysteresis-based between two-level inverter (conventional method) and a five-level CHB inverter (proposed method). Here, a DC generator acted as a load is employed to control the operating speed instead of the speed controller (speed controller is negligible). Hence, the DTC method is optimized by minimizing the torque ripple as well as retaining the torque control capability at constant torque region on several operating speed. The selected optimal vector from the look-up table DTC of five-level CHB inverter must be dynamically appropriate to any change of torque (increased or decreased torque). For simplicity, this paper will only discuss the experimental results for both topologies of drive system. From the experimental results, it is verified that the torque ripples by the proposed method have achieved 10% and 50% reduction at high and low operating speed respectively. It is found that the DTC hysteresis-based result simpler control method than DTC-SVM while maintaining similar output performance. • Five-level Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) inverter is proposed in the DTC scheme. • Optimal voltage vector is selected to analyze the torque performance on the several operating speeds. • The torque performance on each operating speed is verified by using experimental test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This article proposes a new robust nonlinear controller that stabilizes a chaotic finance system in a finite-time without cancellation of the spacecraft's nonlinear terms, it improves the efficiency of the closed-loop. • It accomplishes an oscillation-free faster convergence of the perturbed state variables to the desired steady-state. • The proposed controller is insensitive to the parameter uncertainties of the nonlinear terms and exogenous disturbances. • The paper performs a comparative study to verify the performance and efficiency of the proposed controller. Robust, stable financial systems significantly improve the growth of an economic system. The stabilization of financial systems poses the following challenges. The state variables' trajectories (i) lie outside the basin of attraction, (ii) have high oscillations, and (iii) converge to the equilibrium state slowly. This paper aims to design a controller that develops a robust, stable financial closed-loop system to address the challenges above by (i) attracting all state variables to the origin, (ii) reducing the oscillations, and (iii) increasing the gradient of the convergence. This paper proposes a detailed mathematical analysis of the steady-state stability, dissipative characteristics, the Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation phenomena, and Poincare maps of chaotic financial dynamic systems. The proposed controller does not cancel the nonlinear terms appearing in the closed-loop. This structure is robust to the smoothly varying system parameters and improves closed-loop efficiency. Further, the controller eradicates the effects of inevitable exogenous disturbances and accomplishes a faster, oscillation-free convergence of the perturbed state variables to the desired steady-state within a finite time. The Lyapunov stability analysis proves the closed-loop global stability. The paper also discusses finite-time stability analysis and describes the controller parameters' effects on the convergence rates. Computer-based simulations endorse the theoretical findings, and the comparative study highlights the benefits. Theoretical analysis proofs and computer simulation results verify that the proposed controller compels the state trajectories, including trajectories outside the basin of attraction, to the origin within finite time without oscillations while being faster than the other controllers discussed in the comparative study section. This article proposes a novel robust, nonlinear finite-time controller for the robust stabilization of the chaotic finance model. It provides an in-depth analysis based on the Lyapunov stability theory and computer simulation results to verify the robust convergence of the state variables to the origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct Torque Control (DTC) of Induction Motors (IMs) is popular in motor drive applications because of its robust and simple control structure. The IM winding can be controlled on both sides using dual inverter technique which more effective for Electric Vehicle (EV) with a greater number of voltage vectors. However, the battery performance of the dual inverter will deteriorate unevenly on both sides, resulting in fluctuating voltages for the EV system. This will lead to the generation of distorted stator currents and a significant droop in the stator flux, which in turn can increase the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the system. Additionally, the performance of torque may not be able to regulate effectively. This paper examines the effect of unstable voltage on voltage vector mapping performance with tilted angles and proposes new sector definitions based on voltage ratio conditions. Moreover, the proposed sector for each predefined voltage ratio is tested under three-speed conditions. The proposed technique effectiveness is validated through hardware experiments using a dSPACE 1104 controller and retuning the stator current for proper waveform. This approach improves the stator current waveform, improves stator flux droop, enhances torque regulation and minimizes the THD in the DTC system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The TM capture is first reformulated to nonlinear quadratic optimal control. • The high-efficiency NMPC with robustness and optimality is proposed for TM capture. • The mixed state and control constraints are integrated into the robust optimal control. • The proposed method guarantees the computational efficiency. This paper presents a nonlinear high-efficiency model predictive control (NHMPC) with constraints designed for the test mass (TM) capture phase of the drag-free satellite about gravitational wave observatory. To avoid collisions between test mass and satellite cavity, TM capture is the essential technology for drag-free satellite. Test mass is located inside an electrostatic suspension and locked by a clamp mechanism initially. The test masses are released with high initial offsets and velocities when the mechanism is retracted. The purpose of this phase is to guarantee the TM to be positioned at the cage center and attitude aligned with the local cage frame. Due to the low actuation authority of electrostatic suspension along with critical initial offsets and velocities, it is a challenging task to design the attitude and translation control schemes with simultaneous consideration of system performance and energy consumption. For the problem given above, the TM capture can be reformulated into a nonlinear quadratic optimal control problem with the state and input constraints. A nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) structure is also designed to handle the noises by forming a closed loop. This control framework can realize optimality and robustness in a compromise. To improve the speed of solving high-dimensional nonlinear optimal control online for MPC, the indirect Chebyshev pseudospectral method with constraints is employed. The convergence and stability of the control loop are analyzed. Simulation examples show that the feasibility and performance of the designed control loop are verified compared with the existing methods and computation times in the millisecond range can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the composite robust control problem of uncertain nonlinear systems with unmatched disturbances is investigated. In order to improve the robust control performance, the integral sliding mode control method is considered together with H ∞ control for nonlinear systems. By designing a disturbance observer with a new structure, the estimations of disturbances can be obtained with small errors, which are used to construct sliding mode control policy and avoid high gains. On the basis of ensuring the accessibility of specified sliding surface, the guaranteed cost control problem of nonlinear sliding mode dynamics is considered. To overcome the difficulty of robust control design caused by nonlinear characteristics, a modified policy iteration method based on sum of squares is proposed to solve the H ∞ control policy of the nonlinear sliding mode dynamics. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed robust control method is verified by simulation tests. • A new disturbance observer is proposed to achieve faster and more accurate estimation. • The use of disturbance estimation in sliding mode control can reduce the impact of chattering. • A novel robust control design method is proposed based on policy iteration and SOS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, sensorless robust speed control with nonlinear lumped mismatched disturbance observers for a permanent magnet type axial gap bearingless motor (AGBM) is designed. Multistage anti-windup-based dynamic surface control combined with integral backstepping control is proposed to control the motor's axial displacement and rotor speed. The approach is against parameter uncertainties and external disturbances, improving steady-state accuracy, eliminating the derivative explosion phenomenon, no chattering problem, and reducing the magnitude of the control system when current saturation occurs. In addition, a novel nonlinear lumped mismatched disturbance observer is proposed to improve the approach under unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances. To obtain high-accuracy tracking control, the control system includes the robust controller combined with the disturbance observers and anticipatory activation of anti-windup (AW) compensation, which means the controller is more complex. Then, to design a sensorless robust speed control for the motor, the rotor position and speed observer require higher accuracy. High-gain back-EMF observer combined with an improved phase-locked loop is proposed to estimate rotor angular position and speed even when the motor speed is reversed. Overall stability of closed-loop system control, including a sensorless speed control approach for motors using back-EMF estimation combined with saturation of the currents and lumped disturbance observers, is mathematically proven. Finally, the simulation results under measurement noise show that the proposed control system are obtained the effectiveness, feasibility, and robustness. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The preview tracking controller for interconnected continuous-time systems with parameter uncertainties is designed. • The previewable information is integrated to the states of error system, which is a new framework of preview control. • The performance index function and performance signal are constructed to research the influence of disturbance. • The proposed preview controller can make the tracking quality improves as the preview length increases. This paper designs a decentralized robust preview tracking controller for interconnected continuous-time systems with parametric uncertainties. The uncertain error system, which is composed of the derivative equation of the states, the tracking error dynamics, and the available future reference dynamics, is constructed. Then, a cost function is introduced to evaluate the tracking quality. Meanwhile, a performance signal is defined to discuss the influence of disturbances on the tracking performance. Based on the above operations, the considered tracking control is converted to the H-infinity control of the uncertain error system. The sufficient conditions which guarantee that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable with H-infinity disturbance attenuation are derived. Further, the decentralized preview controller is obtained with the help of the linear matrix inequality (LMI). The result is applied to double-parallel inverted pendulum system and 3-interconnected machine power system. Numerical simulation demonstrate that the suggested preview controller can make the output track the reference signal, and the tracking quality be improved as the preview length increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturation is mainly characterized by its passivity and magnitude bound. But most of the saturation control methods only make use of either of these features. To enhance the performance of saturated systems, this paper develops a novel method capable of fully using both of these two features. This method is a two-stage design scheme which integrates the phase-shaping technique with the gain-scheduled control. The phase-shaping fully uses the passivity of saturation while the gain-scheduling actively utilizes the magnitude bound of saturation. In this way, the design conservatism associated with existing methods is reduced substantially. Specifically, a matrix-type phase-shaping method is developed through the placement of systems' frequency loci, and a meta-heuristic method is devised for the design of the phase-shaping function. Furthermore, the gain-scheduled control is transformed into the robust performance problem of a passive uncertain system, and designed by the passivity-based robust control method of the authors. Application to two practical control systems validates the effectiveness of the proposed method. The superiority is demonstrated via comparisons with typical saturation control methods. • Propose gain-scheduling with phase-shaping method for input-saturated linear systems. • Fully utilize the passivity in phase-shaping to maximize the system's phase margin. • Actively use the magnitude bound in gain-scheduling to reduce conservative design. • Extend the matrix phase-shaping by placing the nominal system's frequency locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world autonomous systems are often controlled using conventional model-based control methods. But if accurate models of a system are not available, these methods may be unsuitable. For many safety-critical systems, such as robotic systems, a model of the system and a control strategy may be learned using data. When applying learning to safety-critical systems, guaranteeing safety during learning as well as testing/deployment is paramount. A variety of different approaches for ensuring safety exists, but the published works are cluttered and there are few reviews that compare the latest approaches. This paper reviews two promising approaches on guaranteeing safety for learning-based robust control of uncertain dynamical systems, which are based on control barrier functions and control Lyapunov functions. While control barrier functions provide an option to incorporate safety in terms of constraint satisfaction, control Lyapunov functions are used to define safety in terms of stability. This review categorises learning-based methods that use control barrier functions and control Lyapunov functions into three groups, namely reinforcement learning, online and offline supervised learning. Finally, the paper presents a discussion of the suitability of the different methods for different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavioral approach to systems theory, put forward 40 years ago by Jan C. Willems, takes a representation-free perspective of a dynamical system as a set of trajectories. Till recently, it was an unorthodox niche of research but has gained renewed interest for the newly emerged data-driven paradigm, for which it is uniquely suited due to the representation-free perspective paired with recently developed computational methods. A result derived in the behavioral setting that became known as the fundamental lemma started a new class of subspace-type data-driven methods. The fundamental lemma gives conditions for a non-parametric representation of a linear time-invariant system by the image of a Hankel matrix constructed from raw time series data. This paper reviews the fundamental lemma, its generalizations, and related data-driven analysis, signal processing, and control methods. A prototypical signal processing problem, reviewed in the paper, is missing data estimation. It includes simulation, state estimation, and output tracking control as special cases. The direct data-driven control methods using the fundamental lemma and the non-parametric representation are loosely classified as implicit and explicit approaches. Representative examples are data-enabled predictive control (an implicit method) and data-driven linear quadratic regulation (an explicit method). These methods are equally amenable to certainty-equivalence as well as to robust control. Emphasis is put on the robustness of the methods under noise. The methods allow for theoretical certification, they are computationally tractable, in comparison with machine learning methods require small amount of data, and are robustly implementable in real-time on complex physical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of wireless communication within the civil nuclear industry can bring many benefits over wired solutions, such as reducing lifecycle costs and enabling new applications in asset and process management. This paper will discuss aspects of wireless communication in industrial control systems, i.e. termed wireless control systems, of the civil nuclear industry. In this respect, we will review previous use of wireless communication in the nuclear industry, and provide the results of a recent feasibility study of wireless communication for an industrial, civil nuclear control system. The studied use case was of an advanced nuclear modular reactor, the Stable Salt Reactor (SSR), and the augmentation of one of its control systems, the refuelling control system, with wireless communication. Hence, in contrast to previous work on wireless control systems, this paper here will focus on the complex and rigorous processes required for regulated safety which have to be followed to allow for wireless control to be implemented in the nuclear civil sector. The following analysis and design procedure was followed: (a) the decision process for choosing the refuelling control system, (b) the review for a suitable communication protocol and technology, the analysis for placement of wireless transceivers for sensors and actuators, (c) the analysis for wireless communication integrity, (d) the basic analysis and guidelines for control system robustness under packet loss, (e) the discussion of possible self-powering options and (f) the safety analysis of the control system under communication failure. Our initial hypothesis is that wireless control systems in Nuclear Applications can improve asset integrity. Control systems can be made more robust and secure to external influences by securely communicating control responses and asset information within a Nuclear Plant. Safety is also improved by reducing the number of operator interactions required for servicing connections, as failures are reduced overall. The removal of power/data harnesses from in-reactor applications can enable faster deployment and replacement of instrumentation for new builds, existing plants and decommissioning. • Review of wireless communication and its use in nuclear energy systems. • Non-critical systems are potential candidates for wireless-enabled control loops. • Wireless Networked Control System (WNCS) would first be used as system redundancy. • WNCS could provide channel failure alleviation to allow for constant operation. • WNCSs in the nuclear sector are aimed at improving reliability and reducing costs. • Initial safety analysis highlights technological and regulatory challenges remaining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]