Applied Control Systems

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Practical performance issues, performance criteria and iterative testing
• Elements involved in real-time control, including hardware, software and data transfer

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Assess the quality of the results in practice
• Express practical performance criteria in terms of control design specifications
• Interpret and refine solutions based on experimental test results
• Implement the controller in real-time
• Apply advanced control methodologies to practical problems
• Derive models that capture the underlying characteristics of a practical problem
• Apply theoretical principles to derive control solutions to the problem

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Critique other group’s work from theoretical and practical perspectives
• Work in a small team to solve a practical control problem
• Present and explain theoretical solutions and practical results to the class
• Write a report which describes the problem, and motivates the solution applied, and contains full detail of the application and validation of the proposed method

The module is presented through fundamental material (“Introduction” and “Real-time implementation issues”), together with three core themes within Control and Identification. These three topics will operate in rotation from the six given below. The final component of the course will be seminars given by each group.

Introduction

• Review of control systems components, performance criteria and implementation issues
• Overview of system identification methods, modelling for control, iterative testing and
• Refinement
• Choice of control structure, overview and comparison of control methodologies
• Practical issues, software programming and hardware
• Examples of practical systems, and control system implementation

Real-time implementation issues

• Overview of real-time commercial hardware, selection criteria and functionality
• Noise reduction, signal conditioning, sampling, actuator limitations
• Use of Matlab & Simulink and LabVIEW in real-time control
• Guide to Real-time Workshop, tutorial and FAQs
• Overview of report writing

Optimal Control

• Linear Quadratic Regulator: Problem Formulation
• State Estimation
• Solution Implementations
• Introduction to the Minimum Principle
• Linear Quadratic Tracking: Problem formulation
• Solution Implementations
• Practical applications and examples
• References and further reading

Model Predictive Control

• Linear convex optimal control
• Finite horizon approximation
• Model predictive control
• Fast MPC implementations
• Practical applications and examples
• References and further reading

Iterative Learning Control

• Motivation and application example
• Frequency domain ILC
• Time domain Iterative Learning Control
• Extension for Nonlinear systems: Newton-based ILC
• Non-minimum phase experimental example
• Rehabilitation experimental example
• References and further reading

Data-driven Control

• Model-based versus data-based control approaches
• The data-driven approach
• Identifiability and persistency of excitation
• Solution of data-driven LQ finite-horizon control problem
• Hankel matrix
• Optimality of state feedback
• Examples
• References and further reading

Adaptive control

• Theadaptive control problem
• Real-time parameter estimation
• Self-tuning regulators
• Model-reference adaptive control
• Applications examples
• Directed further reading

Multivariable Control

• Introduction to multivariable control
• MIMO transfer functions, frequency response, relative gain array, RHP zeros
• Introduction to MIMO robustness
• Limitations on MIMO performance
• Robust stability and performance analysis for MIMO systems
• Controller designs (LQG, H2 and H∞ control)
• Practical case studies
• Directed further reading

Student Seminars

Each group writes a report detailing their work and present a seminar to the cohort, including:

• How they have applied the theoretical aspects to their testbed in order to achieve the goals presented to them
• How they tackled implementation issues
• How they have used background reading to improve their designs
• Evaluation of the experimental results achieved
• Use of results to refine their designs
• Practical demonstration
• Question and answer session

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.