Adaptive Observer Design with Fixed-Time Convergence, Online Disturbance Learning, and Low-Conservatism Linear Matrix Inequalities for Time-Varying Perturbed Systems
Abstract
1. Introduction
- Notation
- : n-dimensional Euclidean space.
- : Euclidean norm for vectors; induced spectral norm for matrices.
- : Space of essentially bounded measurable functions.
- : Sign-preserving power function for , .For vectors, .
- : Sequence of integers .
- : Identity matrix of size ; : zero matrix of size .
- , : Minimum and maximum eigenvalues of a matrix.
- , : Class (strictly increasing, if unbounded) functions.
- : Augmented error vector (state/parameter/disturbance errors).
- : Parameter-dependent Lyapunov matrix in (9), where are time-varying parameters (e.g., , ).
- : Slack matrix in LMI constraint (10), introduced to decouple Lyapunov terms and reduce conservatism.
- N: Grid resolution for parameter discretization, chosen empirically based on parameter variability (see Algorithm 1).
- : Fixed-time convergence exponent in observer (4a).
- T: Predefined convergence time bound in Theorem 1.
- : Adaptive gain for disturbance estimation in (5).
- : Residual disturbance approximation error.
- : Uniform lower eigenvalue bound for .
- : Positive definite gain matrix for the nonlinear injection term in (4b).
- : Smoothing parameter for the function in (4c), mitigating chattering.
Algorithm 1 Grid-based gain synthesis |
|
2. Preliminaries
- 1.
- It is finite-time-stable, i.e., as , where .
- 2.
- The settling time is bounded by a constant , independent of .
3. Problem Statement
- Requirement of static disturbance bounds .
- Asymptotic rather than fixed-time convergence.
- Conservatism from diagonal gain matrices.
- Estimates and without static disturbance bounds.
- Guarantees in fixed time T.
- Synthesizes gains via reduced-conservatism LMIs.
4. Finite-Time Observer Design with Online Disturbance Learning
- 1.
- Gains satisfy parameter-dependent LMIs (Section 5).
- 2.
- , .
- 3.
- .
- Bounded derivatives (A3,A4): ,
- Significant inequalities:
5. Reduced-Conservatism LMI Synthesis
6. Comparative Analysis
6.1. Methodology Comparison
- Versus High-Gain Observers [8]: While high-gain observers provide robustness to uncertainties, they inherently amplify measurement noise and suffer from peaking phenomena. Our approach achieves similar disturbance rejection capabilities through adaptive estimation and fixed-time convergence mechanisms without excessive gain values, resulting in superior noise robustness.
- Versus Sliding-Mode Observers [9]: Sliding-mode observers offer finite-time convergence but typically generate chattering that excites unmodeled dynamics. Our method replaces discontinuous switching with smooth approximation and adaptive disturbance learning, eliminating chattering while maintaining fixed-time convergence guarantees.
- Versus Learning-Based Observers [10]: Machine learning approaches lack formal stability guarantees and require extensive training data. Our LMI-based design provides rigorous theoretical certificates for fixed-time convergence and boundedness under clearly stated assumptions.
6.2. Interpretations of Key Criteria
6.2.1. Convergence
- Fixed-Time (Proposed): Ensures by a predefined T, critical for time-sensitive applications (e.g., fault detection in power systems).
- Asymptotic ([1]): Guarantees as , which may be insufficient for real-time control.
6.2.2. Disturbance Handling
- Proposed: Eliminates need for static bounds via online estimator , adapting to unmodeled dynamics.
- [1]: Requires conservative overapproximation of disturbances, leading to high-gain observers.
6.2.3. Conservatism vs. Complexity
- Proposed: Parameter-dependent LMIs reduce conservatism but require solving LMIs. Suitable for .
- [1]: Diagonal LMIs () are computationally efficient but overdesign gains for worst-case scenarios.
6.2.4. Implementation
- Proposed: Requires offline grid-based LMI solving and real-time interpolation. Not scalable for .
- [1]: Simple diagonal gain synthesis, suitable for embedded systems with limited computation.
6.3. Practical Recommendations
- Choose proposed observer if the following is the case:
- –
- Fixed-time convergence is required (e.g., safety-critical systems).
- –
- Disturbance bounds are unknown or time-varying.
- –
- System dimension is low ().
- Choose [1] if the following is the case:
- –
- Asymptotic convergence suffices.
- –
- Disturbance bounds are known and static.
- –
- System dimension is high ().
7. Simulation Results
7.1. Application to Power Systems
- : Grid voltage with V (nominal).
- : Unknown time-varying parameter ( Hz nominal).
- : Disturbance (parasitic loads).
- : Time-varying frequency.
Observer Implementation
7.2. Implementation and Reproducibility Details
7.2.1. Comparative Results
7.2.2. Interpretation
- Fixed-Time Convergence: Achieved via the term in (12).
- Online Disturbance Learning: Adaptive compensates without prior knowledge of .
- Reduced Conservatism: Lower gains ( vs. ) due to slack matrix in LMIs.
7.3. Robustness to Measurement Noise
8. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Criterion | Proposed Observer | [1] |
---|---|---|
Convergence Type | Fixed-time () | Asymptotic |
Disturbance Knowledge | Not required (online learning) | Required (static bounds ) |
Conservatism | Low (PDLF1 + slack variables) | High (fixed diagonal gains) |
Computational Complexity | (e.g., for ) | |
LMI Structure | Parameter-dependent | Diagonal |
Disturbance Adaptation | Dynamic () | Static |
Robustness to Noise | High (tanh smoothing) | Moderate (discontinuous terms) |
Implementation Scalability | Low () | High () |
Metric | Proposed | Rios2023 |
---|---|---|
LMIs solved | 15 | 32 |
Avg. iteration time (ms) | 22.4 | 41.7 |
Memory (MB) | 5.1 | 9.3 |
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Ben Alaia, E.; Dhahri, S.; Naifar, O. Adaptive Observer Design with Fixed-Time Convergence, Online Disturbance Learning, and Low-Conservatism Linear Matrix Inequalities for Time-Varying Perturbed Systems. Math. Comput. Appl. 2025, 30, 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/mca30050112
Ben Alaia E, Dhahri S, Naifar O. Adaptive Observer Design with Fixed-Time Convergence, Online Disturbance Learning, and Low-Conservatism Linear Matrix Inequalities for Time-Varying Perturbed Systems. Mathematical and Computational Applications. 2025; 30(5):112. https://doi.org/10.3390/mca30050112
Chicago/Turabian StyleBen Alaia, Essia, Slim Dhahri, and Omar Naifar. 2025. "Adaptive Observer Design with Fixed-Time Convergence, Online Disturbance Learning, and Low-Conservatism Linear Matrix Inequalities for Time-Varying Perturbed Systems" Mathematical and Computational Applications 30, no. 5: 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/mca30050112
APA StyleBen Alaia, E., Dhahri, S., & Naifar, O. (2025). Adaptive Observer Design with Fixed-Time Convergence, Online Disturbance Learning, and Low-Conservatism Linear Matrix Inequalities for Time-Varying Perturbed Systems. Mathematical and Computational Applications, 30(5), 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/mca30050112