Yes / This work investigates how batch reactors can be optimized to increase the yield of a desired product coupling two appealing techniques for process control and optimization: the nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) and the dynamic real-time optimization (D-RTO). The overall optimization problem is formulated and applied to calculate the optimal operating parameters of a selected case study and the numerical results are compared to the traditional control/optimization techniques. It has been demonstrated in our previous work (Pahija et al, Selecting the best control methodology to improve the efficiency of discontinuous reactors, Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, 32, 805-810, 2013) that the control strategy can significantly affect optimization results and that the appropriate selection of the control methodology is crucial to obtain the real operational optimum (with some percent of improved yield). In this context, coupling NMPC and D-RTO seems to be the ideal way to improve the process yield. The results presented in this work have been obtained by using gPROMS® and MS C++ with algorithms of BzzMath library.

In the future autonomous vehicles are expected to navigate independently and manage complex traffic situations. This thesis is one of two theses initiated with the aim of researching which methods could be used within the field of autonomous vehicles. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how Model Predictive Control could be used in the field of autonomous vehicles. The tasks to generate a safe and economic path, to re-plan to avoid collisions with moving obstacles and to operate the vehicle have been studied. The algorithm created is set up as a hierarchical framework defined by a high and a low level planner. The objective of the high level planner is to generate the global route while the objectives of the low level planner are to operate the vehicle and to re-plan to avoid collisions. Optimal Control problems have been formulated in the high level planner for the use of path planning. Different objectives of the planning have been investigated e.g. the minimization of the traveled length between the start and the end point. Approximations of the static obstacles' forbidden areas have been made with circles. A Quadratic Programming framework has been set up in the low level planner to operate the vehicle to follow the high level pre-computed path and to locally re-plan the route to avoid collisions with moving obstacles. Four different strategies of collision avoidance have been implemented and investigated in a simulation environment.

Cette thèse s’intéresse au développement d’un contrôleur sûre et robuste en tant que partie intégrante d’un pancréas artificiel. Plus précisément, nous sommes intéressés à contrôler la partie du traitement usuel qui a pour but d’équilibrer la glycémie du patient. C’est ainsi que le développement d’une commande prédictive nonlinéaire robuste basée sur la résolution d’un problème de point selle a été envisagé. Afin de valider les performances du contrôleur dans une situation réaliste, des simulations numériques en utilisant une plate-forme de tests validée par la FDA sont envisagées.Dans une première partie, nous présentons une extension de la classique commande prédictive nonlinéaire dont le but est d’assurer le contrôle robuste de systèmes décrits par des équations différentielles ordinaires non linéaires dans un cadre échantillonné. Ce contrôleur, qui calcule une action de contrôle adéquate en considérant la solution d’un problème de point selle, est appelé saddle point model predictive controller (SPMPC). En utilisant cette commande, il est prouvé que le système converge en temps fini dans un espace borné et, en supposant une certaine structure dans le problème, qu’il est pratiquement stable entrée-état. Ensuite, nous nous sommes intéressés à la résolution numérique. Pour ce faire, nous proposons une méthode de résolution inspirée de la méthode du Langrangien augmenté et qui fait usage de modèles adjoints.Dans un deuxième temps, nous considérons l’application de ce contrôleur au problème du contrôle artificiel de la glycémie. Après une phase de modélisation, nous avons retenu deux modèles : un modèle simple qui est utilisé pour développer la commande et un modèle complexe qui est utilisé comme un simulateur réaliste de patients. Ce dernier est nécessaire pour valider notre approche de contrôle. Afin de calculer une entrée de commande adéquate, la commande SPMPC a besoin de l’état complet du système. Or, les capteurs ne peuvent fournir qu’une valeur du glucose sanguin. C’est pourquoi le développement d’un observateur est envisagé. Ensuite, des simulations sont réalisées. Les résultats obtenus témoignent de l’intérêt de l’approche retenue. En effet, pour tous les patients, aucune hypoglycémie n’a été observée et le temps passé en état hyperglycémique est suffisamment faible pour ne pas être dommageable. Enfin, l’intérêt d’étendre l’approche de commande SPMPC au problème de contrôle de systèmes décrits par des équations différentielles retardées non linéaires dans un cadre échantillonné est formellement investigué. / This thesis deals with the design of a robust and safe control algorithm to aim at an artificial pancreas. More precisely we will be interested in controlling the stabilizing part of a classical cure. To meet this objective, the design of a robust nonlinear model predictive controller based on the solution of a saddle point optimization problem is considered. Also, to test the controller performances in a realistic case, numerical simulations on a FDA validated testing platform are envisaged.In a first part, we present an extension of the usual nonlinear model predictive controller designed to robustly control, in a sampled-data framework, systems described by nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This controller, which computes the best control input by considering the solution of a constrained saddle point optimization problem, is called saddle point model predictive controller (SPMPC). Using this controller, it is proved that the closed-loop is Ultimately Bounded and, with some assumptions on the problem structure, Input-to State practically Stable. Then, we are interested in numerically solving the corresponding control problem. To do so, we propose an algorithm inspired from the augmented Lagrangian technique and which makes use of adjoint model.In a second part, we consider the application of this controller to the problem of artificial blood glucose control. After a modeling phase, two models are retained. A simple one will be used to design the controller and a complex one will be used to simulate realistic virtual patients. This latter is needed to validate our control approach. In order to compute a good control input, the SPMPC controller needs the full state value. However, the sensors can only provide the value of blood glucose. That is why the design of an adequate observer is envisaged. Then, numerical simulations are performed. The results show the interest of the approach. For all virtual patients, no hypoglycemia event occurs and the time spent in hyperglycemia is too short to induce damageable consequences. Finally, the interest of extending the SPMPC approach to consider the control of time delay systems in a sampled-data framework is numerically explored.

Increased safety and productivity are driving factors for the trend in the mining industry where equipment and machines increasingly get automated. An example is the load-haul-dump vehicle, which is a machine that is used for transport of ore in underground mines. The cyclic load-haul-dump process is well suited for automation and automated loaders are commercially available today. Recent advances in autonomous driving have raised questions if there are efficiency gains that can be made by improving the path following algorithms that are used in the control. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the usage of model predictive control for path following for center-articulated mining vehicles. Two path following nonlinear model predictive controllers are designed and implemented. One controller is based on an error dynamics model, formulated as a regulation problem and implemented with the open source NMPC-library GRAMPC. The second controller is based on a kinematic model, formulated as a reference tracking NMPC problem and implemented using the embedded-MPC software tool FORCESPRO. The controllers are simulated on the same hardware that is used in real load-haul-dump vehicles, in a simulation environment provided by Epiroc Rock Drills AB. The results from the simulations show that both controllers can successfully follow a path, with a similar level of path error and less aggressive control actions compared to the current path following controller. The implemented controllers perform the control computations within a range of milliseconds on the embedded hardware, which is fast enough for real-time operation of the load-haul-dump vehicle.

This thesis focuses on the possibilities of application of nonlinear model predictive control for electric drives. Specifically, for drives with a permanent magnet synchronous motor. The thesis briefly describes the properties of this type of drive and presents its mathematical model. After that, a nonlinear model of predictive control and methods of nonlinear optimization, which form the basis for the controller output calculation, are described. As it is used in the proposed algorithm, the Active set method is described in more detail. The thesis also includes simulation experiments focusing on the choice of the objective function on the ability to control the drive. The same effect is examined for the different choices of the length of the prediction horizon. The end of the thesis is dedicated to the comparison between the proposed algorithm and commonly used field oriented control. The computational demands of the proposed algorithm are also measured and compared to the used sampling time.

Friction stir welding has become a popular forging technique used in many applications. The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) evaluates this method to seal the 5 cm thick copper canisters that will contain the spent nuclear fuel. To produce repetitive, high quality welds, the process must be controlled, and today a cascade controller is used to keep the desired stir zone temperature. In this thesis, the control system is extended to also include a plunge depth controller. Two different approaches are evaluated; the first attempt is a decentralized solution where the cascaded temperature controller is kept, and the second approach uses a non-linear model predictive controller for both depth and temperature. Suitable models have been derived and used to design the controllers; a simpler model for the decentralized control and a more extensive, full model used in the non-linear model predictive controller that relates all the important process variables. The two controller designs are compared according to important performance measures, and the achieved increase in performance with the more complex non-linear model predictive controller is evaluated. The non-linear model predictive controller has not been implemented on the real process. Hence, simulations of the closed loop systems using the full model have been used to compare and evaluate the control strategies. The decentralized controller has been implemented on the real system. Two welds have been made using plunge depth control with excellent experimental results, confirming that the decentralized controller design proposed in this thesis can be successfully used. Even though the controller manages to regulate the plunge depth with satisfying performance, simulations indicate that the non-linear model predictive controller achieves even better closed loop performance. This controller manages to compensate for the cross-connections between the process variables, and the resulting closed loop system is almost decoupled. Further research will reveal which control design that will finally be used. / ''Friction stir welding'' har blivit en populär svetsmetod inom många olika tillämpningar. På Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) undersöks möjligheten att använda metoden för att försegla de 5 cm tjocka kopparkapslarna som kommer innehålla det använda kärnbränslet. För att kunna producera repeterbara svetsar utav hög kvalité krävs det att processen regleras. Idag löses detta med en temperaturregulator som reglerar svetszonens temperatur. I detta examensarbete utökas styrsystemet med en regulator för svetsdjupet. Två olika lösningar har utvärderats; först en decentraliserad lösning där temperatur-regulatorn behålls och sedan en lösning med en olinjär modellprediktiv reglering (MPC) som reglerar både djup och temperatur. Passande modeller har tagits fram och har använts för att designa regulatorerna; en enklare modell för den decentraliserade regulatorn och en utökad, komplett modell som används i den olinjära MPC:n och som beskriver alla viktiga variabler i processen. Viktiga prestandamått har jämförts för de båda regulatorstrukturerna och även prestandaökningen med den olinjära MPC:n har utvärderats. Då denna regulator inte har implementerats på den verkliga processen har simuleringar av den kompletta modellen använts för att jämföra och utvärdera regulatorstrukturerna. Den decentraliserade regulatorn har implementerats och testats på processen. Två svetsar har gjorts och de har givit utmärkta resultat, vilket visar att regulatorstrukturen som presenteras i rapporten fungerar bra för reglering av svetsdjupet. Trots att den implementerade regulatorn klarar av att reglera svetsdjupet med godkänt resultat, så visar simuleringar att den olinjära MPC:n ger ännu bättre reglerprestanda. Denna regulator kompenserar för korskopplingar i systemet och resulterar i ett slutet system som är nästan helt frikopplat. Ytterligare forskning kommer avgöra vilken av strategierna som kommer att användas i slutprodukten.

This thesis deals with the design of a robust and safe control algorithm to aim at an artificial pancreas. More precisely we will be interested in controlling the stabilizing part of a classical cure. To meet this objective, the design of a robust nonlinear model predictive controller based on the solution of a saddle point optimization problem is considered. Also, to test the controller performances in a realistic case, numerical simulations on a FDA validated testing platform are envisaged.In a first part, we present an extension of the usual nonlinear model predictive controller designed to robustly control, in a sampled-data framework, systems described by nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This controller, which computes the best control input by considering the solution of a constrained saddle point optimization problem, is called saddle point model predictive controller (SPMPC). Using this controller, it is proved that the closed-loop is Ultimately Bounded and, with some assumptions on the problem structure, Input-to State practically Stable. Then, we are interested in numerically solving the corresponding control problem. To do so, we propose an algorithm inspired from the augmented Lagrangian technique and which makes use of adjoint model.In a second part, we consider the application of this controller to the problem of artificial blood glucose control. After a modeling phase, two models are retained. A simple one will be used to design the controller and a complex one will be used to simulate realistic virtual patients. This latter is needed to validate our control approach. In order to compute a good control input, the SPMPC controller needs the full state value. However, the sensors can only provide the value of blood glucose. That is why the design of an adequate observer is envisaged. Then, numerical simulations are performed. The results show the interest of the approach. For all virtual patients, no hypoglycemia event occurs and the time spent in hyperglycemia is too short to induce damageable consequences. Finally, the interest of extending the SPMPC approach to consider the control of time delay systems in a sampled-data framework is numerically explored.

Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2016-02-16T13:26:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3970645 bytes, checksum: d514b848324ac20a549db632034383d7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-16T13:26:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3970645 bytes, checksum: d514b848324ac20a549db632034383d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-10 / The purpose of this study is to adapt and embed a navigation system and control of mobile robots, based on NMPC, in a low-cost board existent on the market, to provide sufficient com-putational resources so that the robot is able to converge, without losing performance, using the same horizons applied in a Laptop. The obtained results demonstrate the proposed scenario according with the experiments, proving that it is possible to use low cost boards, to a navigation system and control of mobile robots, based on NMPC, using the same predictive and control horizons applied in a Laptop. / A proposta desse trabalho é adaptar e embarcar um sistema de navegação e controle de robôs móveis, baseado em NMPC, em uma placa de baixo custo já existente no mercado, que dispo-nibilize recursos computacionais suficientes para que o Robô seja capaz de convergir, sem perda de desempenho e utilizando os mesmos horizontes aplicados em um Laptop. Os Resulta-dos obtidos demonstram todo o cenário proposto e de acordo com os experimentos realizados, comprovou-se que é possível o uso de placas de baixo custo, para controle de robôs móveis, baseado em NMPC, utilizando os mesmos horizontes de predição e controle aplicados em uma Laptop.

Systematické řízení tepelných a elektrických toků v plně elektrických automobilech se stává velmi důležitým, protože v těchto typech automobilů není k dispozici dostatek odpadního tepla pro vytápění kabiny. Aby v zimním období nedocházelo ke snížení dojezdu, je nutné použití technologií, které umožní snížení spotřeby energie nutné k vytápění kabiny (např. tepelné čerpadlo, zásobník tepla). Je také zapotřebí vytvořit řídicí algoritmy pro tato zařízení, aby byl zajištěn jejich optimální provoz. V letním období je nezbytné řídit tepelné toky v rámci elektromobilu tak, aby nedocházelo k nadměrnému vybíjení baterie kvůli chlazení kabiny a dalších částí. Tato práce řeší jak návrh řídicích algoritmů, tak i vývoj rozhodovacího algoritmu, který zajistí směřování tepelných toků.