Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Optimal Control”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,063 records · Page 59

Distributed Automatic Load-Frequency Control with Optimality in Power Systems

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy resources, power systems face new challenges in balancing power supply and demand and maintaining the nominal frequency. This paper studies load control to handle these challenges. In particular, a fully distributed automatic load control algorithm, which only needs local measurement and local communication, is proposed. We prove that the control algorithm globally converges to an optimal operating point which minimizes the total disutility of users, restores the nominal frequency and the scheduled tie-line power flows, and respects the thermal constraints of transmission lines. It is also shown that the convergence still holds even when inaccurate system parameters are used in the control algorithm. Lastly, the effectiveness, optimality, and robustness of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated via numerical simulations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Optimal Dispatch Controller for Fuel Cell-Integrated Building: Preprint

Stationary fuel cells can generate both electrical power and heat, making it them a promising local source to serve building loads. In this paper, we develop an optimal energy dispatch controller to operate a fuel cell-integrated building. The controller leverages the inherent thermal in the building to lower reduce its operating cost and allows the building to participate in providing grid services. The proposed controller is tested in a co-simulation setup, where the real building is represented as a high-fidelity model in EnergyPlus.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Quantification of Energy Cost Savings through Optimization and Control of Appliances within Smart Neighborhood Homes

Electric utilities are driving towards enabling automatic scheduling and control of the consumption pattern of appliances such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and water heater (WH) systems (e.g., through preheating and pre-cooling, etc.) within smart neighborhoods to minimize energy cost and peak load demand. Quantifying economic savings through direct comparison of the optimized energy usage profile on a specific day with the typical non-optimized usage profile on another day is not a fair comparison because energy usage highly depends on weather conditions and human behaviour especially appliance like HVAC on those days. In this paper, we propose a novel approach of identifying similar weather day pairs which can then be used to compare the energy use profiles within homes between the identified pairs. We then demonstrate how the proposed approach can be used to compute cost savings due to optimization and control of smart appliances at home and neighborhood-level within a future-focused smart neighborhood of 62 residential homes. We also demonstrate a simulation based approach to quantify cost savings and showcase our findings through customized and interactive visualizations.

Chinthavali, Supriya↗

Efficient Optimization of Large Wind Farms for Real-Time Control: Preprint

Wind turbines in a wind farm typically operate individually to maximize their own performance regardless of the impact of aerodynamic interactions on neighboring turbines. Properly coordinating turbines, by operating some turbines suboptimally, within a wind farm has the potential to improve overall wind farm performance. Computing the optimal control strategy under varying atmospheric conditions can be computationally intense for large wind farms. As wind power farms increase in size and related models become more complex, computationally efficient algorithms are needed to perform real-time optimization and control. This study proposes a distributed optimization framework and computationally efficient wake steering wind farm control strategy that uses the yaw angle of a turbine to alter the behavior of a turbine wake and minimize turbine interactions. This computational efficiency allows the strategy to be feasible for real-time control.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Closed loop models for analyzing the effects of simulator characteristics

The optimal control model of the human operator is used to develop closed loop models for analyzing the effects of (digital) simulator characteristics on predicted performance and/or workload. Two approaches are considered: the first utilizes a continuous approximation to the discrete simulation in conjunction with the standard optimal control model; the second involves a more exact discrete description of the simulator in a closed loop multirate simulation in which the optimal control model simulates the pilot. Both models predict that simulator characteristics can have significant effects on performance and workload.

Baron, S.↗

An algorithm for a general class of routing problems derived from Huygens' principle

If a set of N points or nodes with a nonnegative cost associated with each ordered pair is known, it is desired to find a path from one given node to another given node which minimizes the cost sum. An algorithm is presented which yields a global minimum solution after at most N - 1 iterations or on a typical large third-generation computer, after 1 hour of computation time for a 10,000-node problem. The rapid-access data storage capacity demanded by the algorithm is approximately 3N words for costs read in from slow-access storage or 2N words for calculable costs. The time-storage requirements of the algorithm known to the authors. When the problem is viewed as a discretized optimal control problem, after N-1 iterations, an optimal control or node transition is established for each of the N nodes or states; thus, the algorithm can be applied to situations were there may be errors in the control that necessitate a closed loop control that necessitate a closed loop control philosophy.

Avis, L. M.↗

Mixed H(2)/H(sub infinity): Control with output feedback compensators using parameter optimization

Among the many possible norm-based optimization methods, the concept of H-infinity optimal control has gained enormous attention in the past few years. Here the H-infinity framework, based on the Small Gain Theorem and the Youla Parameterization, effectively treats system uncertainties in the control law synthesis. A design approach involving a mixed H(sub 2)/H-infinity norm strives to combine the advantages of both methods. This advantage motivates researchers toward finding solutions to the mixed H(sub 2)/H-infinity control problem. The approach developed in this research is based on a finite time cost functional that depicts an H-infinity bound control problem in a H(sub 2)-optimization setting. The goal is to define a time-domain cost function that optimizes the H(sub 2)-norm of a system with an H-infinity-constraint function.

Schoemig, Ewald↗

Optimal and robust control of transition

Optimal and robust control theories are used to determine feedback control rules that effectively stabilize a linearly unstable flow in a plane channel. Wall transpiration (unsteady blowing/suction) with zero net mass flux is used as the control. Control algorithms are considered that depend both on full flowfield information and on estimates of that flowfield based on wall skin-friction measurements only. The development of these control algorithms accounts for modeling errors and measurement noise in a rigorous fashion; these disturbances are considered in both a structured (Gaussian) and unstructured ('worst case') sense. The performance of these algorithms is analyzed in terms of the eigenmodes of the resulting controlled systems, and the sensitivity of individual eigenmodes to both control and observation is quantified.

Bewley, T. R.↗

Closed loop models for analyzing the effects of simulator characteristics

The optimal control model (OCM) of the human operator is used to develop closed-loop models for analyzing the effects of (digital) simulator characteristics on predicted performance and/or workload. Two approaches are considered: the first utilizes a continuous approximation to the discrete simulation in conjunction with the standard optimal control model; the second involves a more exact discrete description of the simulator in a closed-loop multi-rate simulation in which the optimal control model 'simulates' the pilot. Both models predict that simulator characteristics can have significant effects on performance and workload.

Baron, S.↗

A multidisciplinary approach to optimization of controlled space structures

A fundamental problem facing controls-structures analysts is a means of determining the trade-offs between structural design parameters and control design parameters in meeting some particular performance criteria. Developing a general optimization-based design methodology integrating the disciplines of structural dynamics and controls is a logical approach. The objective of this study is to develop such a method. Classical design methodology involves three phases. The first is structural optimization, wherein structural member sizes are varied to minimize structural mass, subject to open-loop frequency constraints. The next phase integrates control and structure design with control gains as additional design variables. The final phase is analysis of the 'optimal' integrated design phase considering 'real' actuators and 'standard' member sizes. The control gains could be further optimized for fixed structure, and actuator saturation constraints could be imposed. However, such an approach does not take full advantage of opportunities to tailor the structure and control system design as one system.

Woodard, Stanley E.↗

Optimal Aircraft Control Surface Layouts for Maneuver and Gust Load Alleviation

The goal of this work is to conduct aeroservoelastic optimization of a high aspect ratio transport wingbox with distributed control surfaces along the trailing edge. The control surfaces are utilized for both quasi-steady maneuver load alleviation (MLA) and unsteady gust load alleviation (GLA). The optimizer dictates the sizing details of the wingbox, the steady and unsteady control surface rotations, and also the control surface layout. Layout design variables specifically dictate which control surfaces to retain, and which to remove. The objective function is to minimize the sum of the actuator weight and the structural weight, with several imposed constraints related to structural failure and actuator saturation. The optimizer’s preferences with regards to control surface layout for MLA are in strong contrast to GLA-driven designs. The GLA-driven design space also suffers from local minima not evident in the MLA space.

Stanford, Bret K.↗

Control of functional differential equations to target sets in function space

Optimal control of systems governed by functional differential equations of retarded and neutral type is considered. Problems with function space initial and terminal manifolds are investigated. Existence of optimal controls, regularity, and bang-bang properties are discussed. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived, and several solved examples which illustrate the theory are presented.

Banks, H. T.↗

A Numerical Approximation Framework for the Stochastic Linear Quadratic Regulator on Hilbert Spaces

We present an approximation framework for computing the solution of the stochastic linear quadratic control problem on Hilbert spaces. We focus on the finite horizon case and the related differential Riccati equations (DREs). Our approximation framework is concerned with the so-called “singular estimate control systems” (Lasiecka in Optimal control problems and Riccati equations for systems with unbounded controls and partially analytic generators: applications to boundary and point control problems, 2004) which model certain coupled systems of parabolic/hyperbolic mixed partial differential equations with boundary or point control. We prove that the solutions of the approximate finite-dimensional DREs converge to the solution of the infinite-dimensional DRE. In addition, we prove that the optimal state and control of the approximate finite-dimensional problem converge to the optimal state and control of the corresponding infinite-dimensional problem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Infidelity Associated with Eliminating the Bus Resonator

This summer project started out to quantify the error associated with an approximate model of a superconducting circuit, where two qubits are dispersively coupled through a bus resonator. Understanding this error helps us decide if the approximate model is sufficient for the purpose of optimal control. We find out that the error of the approximate model covers up a nontrivial problem of the underlying circuit, which limits the fidelity of two-qubit gates under 99% for practical parameters. This suggests that high fidelity gates of this circuit cannot be achieved through optimal control alone, and changes of the parameters/design of the circuits appear necessary. Additionally, to carry out the algebra involved, a symbolic commutator algebra package HamMaker is developed in Julia. The package is capable of automating some difficult algebra in optimal control that previously had to be performed by hand. Within this work, HamMaker has been used to derived some simple but nontrivial corrections to the existing effective Hamiltonian.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗