Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Automation Control Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 January 2025 | Viewed by 12479

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Control Systems and Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: modeling; simulation; hybrid systems; nonlinear systems; fuzzy systems; model predictive control; robust control; optimization algorithms; intelligent methods; depth of anesthesia

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses ongoing research and development in the field of control systems engineering, focusing on the modeling, identification, and control of systems with complex dynamics, distinct nonlinearities, and interacting components. Techniques used in this area include model-based control, adaptive control, optimal control, and robust control. The goal is to develop control systems that can effectively manage the complexity and uncertainty inherent in these systems, resulting in improved performance and stability.

A very important aspect is the modeling and identification of the complex processes involved. Significant nonlinearities can be observed in many real-world processes. For example, a well-established approach for dealing with nonlinearities is fuzzy logic. Fuzzy models represent efficient universal approximators of nonlinear dynamics since they can be used to approximate any continuous nonlinear function with arbitrary accuracy. Many processes exhibit both continuous and discrete dynamical properties. Such hybrid systems are dynamic systems that can contain both continuous and discrete states or inputs, and often, the continuous and discrete dynamics are inextricably intertwined. For the most complex processes, modern evolving approaches seem to give good results.

Model predictive control is a family of control methods in which a model of the system is used to predict the future behavior of the system given certain inputs. The optimal inputs that are finally applied to the real system are usually determined by various optimization techniques. Various intelligent methods and algorithms can be implemented to improve the stability and performance of the closed loop system.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Complex process modeling;
  • Identification;
  • Fuzzy systems;
  • Hybrid systems;
  • Evolving systems;
  • Interval systems;
  • Model predictive control;
  • Robust control;
  • Optimization algorithms;
  • Intelligent methods.

Dr. Gorazd Karer
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • complex process modeling
  • identification
  • fuzzy systems
  • hybrid systems
  • evolving systems
  • interval systems
  • model predictive control
  • robust control
  • optimization algorithms
  • intelligent methods

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5022 KiB  
Article
Self-Tuning Oxygen Excess Ratio Control for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Under Dynamic Conditions
by Heran Li, Chuanyu Sun, Jing Li, Jian Mei, Jinhai Jiang, Fulin Fan, Weihong Yang, Ran Zhuo and Kai Song
Processes 2024, 12(12), 2807; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12122807 - 8 Dec 2024
Viewed by 288
Abstract
Reasonable and effective control of a cathode air supply system is conducive to improving the dynamic response, operating efficiency, and reliability of fuel cell systems. This paper proposes a novel data-driven adaptive oxygen excess ratio (OER) control strategy based on online parameter identification [...] Read more.
Reasonable and effective control of a cathode air supply system is conducive to improving the dynamic response, operating efficiency, and reliability of fuel cell systems. This paper proposes a novel data-driven adaptive oxygen excess ratio (OER) control strategy based on online parameter identification for fuel cell systems. The proposed control scheme employs a second-order active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) derived from the proportional-integral-derivative tuning rule to effectively deal with model uncertainties and external disturbances. Online parameter identification continuously translates the cathode air supply system into the second-order model, enabling the real-time adaptation of controller parameters to varying operating conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that the OER control strategy proposed significantly improves voltage stability and system efficiency under dynamic conditions compared to traditional methods. The innovation of this paper is that, based on consideration of the nonlinear slow time-varying characteristics of a PEMFC and the frequent disturbance of load current, adaptive control under system dynamic conditions can be considered. Combining the parameter identification scheme, an adaptive online self-tuning scheme is designed for the identified system model, which avoids the tediousness of a complex modeling process and has promotion value in practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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19 pages, 3035 KiB  
Article
System Identification for Robust Control of an Electrode Positioning System of an Industrial Electric Arc Melting Furnace
by Vicente Feliu-Batlle, Raul Rivas-Perez, Romar A. Borges-Rivero and Roger Misa-Llorca
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2509; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112509 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 586
Abstract
Through system identification for robust control methods and utilizing real-time experimental field data, a comprehensive mathematical model is derived that represents the dynamic performance of a single electrode positioning system (EPS) in an industrial electric arc melting furnace (EAF). This EPS is characterized [...] Read more.
Through system identification for robust control methods and utilizing real-time experimental field data, a comprehensive mathematical model is derived that represents the dynamic performance of a single electrode positioning system (EPS) in an industrial electric arc melting furnace (EAF). This EPS is characterized by large, time-varying dynamic parameters, which fluctuate based on operating conditions, specifically as the electrode weight changes within its operational range. The system identification methodology for robust control is developed in four main steps, progressing from experimental design to model validation. This approach yields a nominal model of the actual system and provides a trustworthy estimate of the region of uncertainty of the model, bounded by models of the real system under maximum and minimum electrode weight conditions (limit operating models). The methodology generates three fourth-order time-delay models using an ARMAX structure. The results are promising, as system identification for robust control enables the derivation of mathematical models specifically tailored for designing robust controllers. These controllers significantly enhance the EPS control system’s performance and substantially reduce energy consumption and environmental emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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25 pages, 1113 KiB  
Article
Semi-Analytical Closed-Form Solutions of the Ball–Plate Problem
by Remus-Daniel Ene and Nicolina Pop
Processes 2024, 12(9), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12091977 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 553
Abstract
Mathematical models and numerical simulations are necessary to understand the dynamical behaviors of complex systems. The aim of this work is to investigate closed-form solutions for the ball–plate problem considering a system derived from an optimal control problem for ball–plate dynamics. The nonlinear [...] Read more.
Mathematical models and numerical simulations are necessary to understand the dynamical behaviors of complex systems. The aim of this work is to investigate closed-form solutions for the ball–plate problem considering a system derived from an optimal control problem for ball–plate dynamics. The nonlinear properties of ball and plate control system are presented in this work. To semi-analytically solve this system, we explored a second-order nonlinear differential equation. Consequently, we obtained the approximate closed-form solutions by the Optimal Parametric Iteration Method (OPIM) using only one iteration. A comparison between the analytical and corresponding numerical procedures reflects the advantages of the first one. The accordance between the obtained results and the numerical ones highlights that the procedure used is accurate, effective, and good to implement in applications such as sliding mode control to the ball-and-plate problem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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18 pages, 1432 KiB  
Article
Filtered Right Coprime Factorization and Its Application to Control a Pneumatic Cylinder
by Yusaku Tanabata and Mingcong Deng
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071475 - 14 Jul 2024
Viewed by 719
Abstract
The main objective of this research is to expand right coprime factorization based on operator theory in nonlinear systems. A novel method for right coprime factorization is proposed by introducing an operator that can deform the system’s response into an arbitrary shape. This [...] Read more.
The main objective of this research is to expand right coprime factorization based on operator theory in nonlinear systems. A novel method for right coprime factorization is proposed by introducing an operator that can deform the system’s response into an arbitrary shape. This enables the design of control systems that are highly effective against noise. As an application, we use a pneumatic stage. The effectiveness of this method is verified through simulations and real-world experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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16 pages, 2283 KiB  
Article
A Semi-Global Finite-Time Dynamic Control Strategy of Stochastic Nonlinear Systems
by Cuixian Luo, Lingrong Xue, Zhen-Guo Liu and Lifang Ren
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071377 - 1 Jul 2024
Viewed by 961
Abstract
In the article, the semi-global finite-time control strategy for stochastic nonlinear systems is studied. Firstly, the general stochastic nonlinear system is considered and the required conditions are provided. An important theorem that helps to construct the controller directly is subsequently obtained by adopting [...] Read more.
In the article, the semi-global finite-time control strategy for stochastic nonlinear systems is studied. Firstly, the general stochastic nonlinear system is considered and the required conditions are provided. An important theorem that helps to construct the controller directly is subsequently obtained by adopting a dynamic gain and homogeneous domination method. The equilibrium of the whole system is semi-global finite-time stable in probability (SGFSP) under the designed controller. Finally, the presented method is successfully applied to a second-order system. Simulation results indicate the effectiveness of the method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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20 pages, 4175 KiB  
Article
Design of Static Output Feedback Suspension Controllers for Ride Comfort Improvement and Motion Sickness Reduction
by Jinwoo Kim and Seongjin Yim
Processes 2024, 12(5), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12050968 - 9 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1324
Abstract
This paper presents a method to design a static output feedback active suspension controller for ride comfort improvement and motion sickness reduction in a real vehicle system. Full-state feedback controller has shown good performance for active suspension control. However, it requires a lot [...] Read more.
This paper presents a method to design a static output feedback active suspension controller for ride comfort improvement and motion sickness reduction in a real vehicle system. Full-state feedback controller has shown good performance for active suspension control. However, it requires a lot of states to be measured, which is very difficult in real vehicles. To avoid this problem, a static output feedback (SOF) controller is adopted in this paper. This controller requires only three sensor outputs, vertical velocity, roll and pitch rates, which are relatively easy to measure in real vehicles. Three types of SOF controller are proposed and optimized with linear quadratic optimal control and the simulation optimization method. Two of these controllers have only three gains to be tuned, which are much smaller than those of full-state feedback. To validate the performance of the proposed SOF controllers, a simulation is carried out on a vehicle simulation package. From the results, the proposed SOF controllers are quite good at improving ride comfort and reducing motion sickness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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24 pages, 1304 KiB  
Article
Distributed Control of an Ill-Conditioned Non-Linear Process Using Control Relevant Excitation Signals
by Yusuf Abubakar Sha’aban
Processes 2023, 11(12), 3320; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123320 - 29 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1015
Abstract
Efficient control schemes for ill-conditioned systems, such as the high-purity distillation column, can be challenging and costly to design and implement. In this paper, we propose a distributed control scheme that utilizes well-designed excitation signals to identify the system. Unlike traditional systems, we [...] Read more.
Efficient control schemes for ill-conditioned systems, such as the high-purity distillation column, can be challenging and costly to design and implement. In this paper, we propose a distributed control scheme that utilizes well-designed excitation signals to identify the system. Unlike traditional systems, we found that a summation of correlated and uncorrelated signals can yield better excitation of the plant. Our proposed distributed model predictive control (MPC) scheme uses a shifted input sequence to address loop interactions and reduce the computational load. This approach deviates from traditional schemes that use iteration, which can increase complexity and computational load. We initially tested the proposed method on the linear model of a highly coupled 2 × 2 process and compared its performance with decentralized proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers and centralized MPC. Our results show improved performance over PID controllers and similar results to centralized MPC. Furthermore, we compared the performance of the proposed approach with a centralized MPC on a nonlinear model of a distillation column. The results for the second study also demonstrated comparable performance between the two controllers with the decentralised control slightly outperforming the centralised MPC in some cases. These findings are promising and may be of interest to practitioners that are more comfortable with tuning decentralised loops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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30 pages, 16476 KiB  
Article
Fuzzy Control Strategies Development for a 3-DoF Robotic Manipulator in Trajectory Tracking
by John Kern, Dailin Marrero and Claudio Urrea
Processes 2023, 11(12), 3267; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123267 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2902
Abstract
This research delves into the development and evaluation of two distinct controllers for a 3-DoF robotic arm in the context of Industry 4.0. Two primary control strategies are presented in the study. The first is a Fuzzy Logic Controller that utilizes joint position [...] Read more.
This research delves into the development and evaluation of two distinct controllers for a 3-DoF robotic arm in the context of Industry 4.0. Two primary control strategies are presented in the study. The first is a Fuzzy Logic Controller that utilizes joint position error and its derivative as inputs, employing a set of 9 control knowledge rules. The second is an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) Controller, trained to learn the inverse dynamic model of the robot through a structured dataset. The research emphasizes the importance of accurate parameter tuning and data acquisition to achieve optimal control system performance. Extensive experimentation was conducted to evaluate the controllers’ performance in trajectory tracking and their response against external disturbances, such as load variations. The controllers exhibited remarkable precision and proficiency in tracking reference trajectories, with minimal deviations, overshoots, or oscillations. A quantitative analysis using performance indices such as root mean square error (RMSE) and the integral of the absolute value of the time-weighted error (ITAE) further confirmed the controllers’ effectiveness. Notably, the ANFIS Controller consistently outperformed the Fuzzy Logic Controller, demonstrating superior precision in trajectory tracking. The study underscored the importance of selecting the right control method and obtaining high-quality training data. Challenges in parameter tuning for Fuzzy Logic Controllers and potential time constraints in training ANFIS were discussed. The findings have significant implications for advancing robotic control systems, particularly in the era of Industry 4.0. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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Review

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32 pages, 597 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review on Discriminant Analysis for Addressing Challenges of Class-Level Limitations, Small Sample Size, and Robustness
by Lingxiao Qu and Yan Pei
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071382 - 2 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3097
Abstract
The classical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) algorithm has three primary drawbacks, i.e., small sample size problem, sensitivity to noise and outliers, and inability to deal with multi-modal-class data. This paper reviews LDA technology and its variants, covering the taxonomy and characteristics of these [...] Read more.
The classical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) algorithm has three primary drawbacks, i.e., small sample size problem, sensitivity to noise and outliers, and inability to deal with multi-modal-class data. This paper reviews LDA technology and its variants, covering the taxonomy and characteristics of these technologies and comparing their innovations and developments in addressing these three shortcomings. Additionally, we describe the application areas and emphasize the kernel extensions of these technologies to solve nonlinear problems. Most importantly, this paper presents perspectives on future research directions and potential research areas in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Control of Complex Dynamic Systems)
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