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At least 307 records · Page 17

On slowly varying systems - l-infinity to l-infinity performance and implications to robust adaptive control

The authors present a result on the l-infinity to l-infinity performance of slowly time varying systems. In particular, it is shown that the performance of such systems cannot be much worse than that of the frozen-time systems which are time invariant. This result is used to characterize a class of indirect adaptive controllers that can stabilize a time-invariant system subjected to both parametric and l-infinity to l-infinity bounded unstructured uncertainty. Pertaining to this class of controllers, a particular indirect adaptive scheme is proposed that provides the greatest upper bound on the size of the unstructured uncertainty for which stability is ensured.

Voulgaris, Petros G.↗

Experimental study of robustness in adaptive control for large flexible structures

An experimental study is performed to investigate the robustness of model reference adaptive control for the large flexible structures control application. The main nonidealities of concern are unmodeled dynamics, input saturation, and time delay effects (here, actuator and sensor dynamics are lumped into the last item for convenience). This study focuses on the robustness with respect to input saturation and time delay effects, since robustness to unmodeled dynamics is inherent to the basic algorithm and has been demonstrated experimentally elsewhere.

Ih, Che-Hang Charles↗

Model reference adaptive control of flexible robots in the presence of sudden load changes

Direct command generator tracker based model reference adaptive control (MRAC) algorithms are applied to the dynamics for a flexible-joint arm in the presence of sudden load changes. Because of the need to satisfy a positive real condition, such MRAC procedures are designed so that a feedforward augmented output follows the reference model output, thus, resulting in an ultimately bounded rather than zero output error. Thus, modifications are suggested and tested that: (1) incorporate feedforward into the reference model's output as well as the plant's output, and (2) incorporate a derivative term into only the process feedforward loop. The results of these simulations give a response with zero steady state model following error, and thus encourage further use of MRAC for more complex flexibile robotic systems.

Steinvorth, Rodrigo↗

Adaptive control strategies for flexible robotic arm

The motivation of this research came about when a neural network direct adaptive control scheme was applied to control the tip position of a flexible robotic arm. Satisfactory control performance was not attainable due to the inherent non-minimum phase characteristics of the flexible robotic arm tip. Most of the existing neural network control algorithms are based on the direct method and exhibit very high sensitivity if not unstable closed-loop behavior. Therefore a neural self-tuning control (NSTC) algorithm is developed and applied to this problem and showed promising results. Simulation results of the NSTC scheme and the conventional self-tuning (STR) control scheme are used to examine performance factors such as control tracking mean square error, estimation mean square error, transient response, and steady state response.

Bialasiewicz, Jan T.↗

Direct model reference adaptive control with application to flexible robots

A modification to a direct command generator tracker-based model reference adaptive control (MRAC) system is suggested in this paper. This modification incorporates a feedforward into the reference model's output as well as the plant's output. Its purpose is to eliminate the bounded model following error present in steady state when previous MRAC systems were used. The algorithm was evaluated using the dynamics for a single-link flexible-joint arm. The results of these simulations show a response with zero steady state model following error. These results encourage further use of MRAC for various types of nonlinear plants.

Steinvorth, Rodrigo↗

Experimental implementation of adaptive control for flexible space structures

On-going research at The Aerospace Corporation studying the feasibility of applying adaptive control methodologies to the control of flexible space structures is described. A laboratory testbed was established to test system identification and control approaches. The laboratory set-up and controller design approach are discussed. The ARX least squares parameter estimation technique is analyzed in terms of frequency domain transfer function bias error. This analysis approach enables the determination of the effects of sampling rate, sensor type, and data prefiltering on the estimation performance. The ability to identify space structure dynamics over a range of frequencies is shown to be heavily dependent on these factors.

Mcgraw, Gary A.↗

The experimental results of a self tuning adaptive controller using online frequency identification

A fourth-order laboratory dynamic system featuring very low structural damping and a noncolocated actuator-sensor pair has been used to test a novel real-time adaptive controller, implemented in a minicomputer, which consists of a state estimator, a set of state feedback gains, and a frequency-locked loop for real-time parameter identification. The adaptation algorithm employed can correct controller error and stabilize the system for more than 50 percent variation in the plant's natural frequency, compared with a 10 percent stability margin in frequency variation for a fixed gain controller having the same performance as the nominal plant condition. The very rapid convergence achievable by this adaptive system is demonstrated experimentally, and proven with simple, root-locus methods.

Chiang, W.-W.↗

Digital adaptive control laws for the F-8

NASA is conducting a flight control research program in digital fly-by-wire technology using a modified F-8C aircraft. The first phase of this program used Apollo hardware to demonstrate the practicality of digital fly-by-wire in an actual test vehicle. For the second phase, conventional aircraft sensors and a large floating point digital computer are being utilized to test advanced control laws and redundancy concepts. As part of NASA's research in digital fly-by-wire technology, Honeywell developed digital adaptive flight control laws for flight test in the F-8C. Adaptation of the control laws was to be based on information sensed from conventional aircraft sensors excluding air data. The control laws were constrained to use only existing elevator, rudder, and ailerons as control effectors, each powered by existing actuators. Three adaptive control laws were successfully designed using maximum likelihood estimation, a Liapunov stable model tracker and a self-excited limit cycle concept. The maximum likelihood estimation design was selected as the most promising because of its capability to identify more than surface effectiveness parameters. The adaptive concepts, the control laws and comparisons of predicted performance are described.

Hartmann, G. L.↗

Neural self-tuning adaptive control of non-minimum phase system

The motivation of this research came about when a neural network direct adaptive control scheme was applied to control the tip position of a flexible robotic arm. Satisfactory control performance was not attainable due to the inherent non-minimum phase characteristics of the flexible robotic arm tip. Most of the existing neural network control algorithms are based on the direct method and exhibit very high sensitivity, if not unstable, closed-loop behavior. Therefore, a neural self-tuning control (NSTC) algorithm is developed and applied to this problem and showed promising results. Simulation results of the NSTC scheme and the conventional self-tuning (STR) control scheme are used to examine performance factors such as control tracking mean square error, estimation mean square error, transient response, and steady state response.

Ho, Long T.↗

Demonstration of the Space Launch System Augmenting Adaptive Control Algorithm on Pole-Cart Platform

NASA's baseline Space Launch System (SLS) ight control system (FCS) includes an adaptive augmenting control (AAC) portion in addition to the ight-heritage nominal classical controller. The AAC algorithm is intended to improve the robustness and performance of the classical controller. Over the past several years, the AAC algorithm developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has matured significantly through extensive simulation, rigorous analytical proofs, and a series of successful ight tests on a F18 aircraft. This study was part of a SLS program and NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) joint e ort to further increase the confidence level of the AAC algorithm by demonstrating its key functionalities on a classroom type of example, the pole-cart sys- tem, at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) dynamics and control laboratory. The fundamental dynamics behind balancing an inverted pendulum is similar to controlling an aerodynamically unstable rocket. Both systems are inherently open-loop unstable and requires feedback control for attitude stabilization. The principles behind the AAC algorithm is applicable to a wide range of conditionally stable dynamical systems. Hence, the outcomes from this simple and inexpensive exercise has provided the SLS program with additional confidence into the AAC design, operation, robustness, and application.

Pei, Jing↗

A forward method for optimal stochastic nonlinear and adaptive control

A computational approach is taken to solve the optimal nonlinear stochastic control problem. The approach is to systematically solve the stochastic dynamic programming equations forward in time, using a nested stochastic approximation technique. Although computationally intensive, this provides a straightforward numerical solution for this class of problems and provides an alternative to the usual dimensionality problem associated with solving the dynamic programming equations backward in time. It is shown that the cost degrades monotonically as the complexity of the algorithm is reduced. This provides a strategy for suboptimal control with clear performance/computation tradeoffs. A numerical study focusing on a generic optimal stochastic adaptive control example is included to demonstrate the feasibility of the method.

Bayard, David S.↗

Adaptive control of interface by temperature and interface profile feedback in transparent multi-zone crystal growth furnace

The objective of this research is to control the dynamics of multizone programmable crystal growth furnaces. Due to the inevitable heat exchange among different heating zones and the transient nature of the process, the dynamics of multizone furnaces is time varying, distributed, and therefore complex in nature. Electrical power to heating zones and the translational speed of the ampoule are employed as inputs to control the dynamics. Structural properties of the crystal is the ultimate aim of this adaptive control system. These properties can be monitored in different ways. Following an order of complexity, these may include: (1) on line measurement of the material optical properties such as the refractive index of crystal; (2) on line x-ray imaging of the interface topology; (3) on line optical quantification of the interface profile such as the determination of concavity or convexity of the interface shape; and (4) on line temperature measurement at points closest to the material such as measurements of the ampoule's outside and inside surface temperatures. The research performed makes use of the temperature and optical measurements, specified in (3) and (4) as the outputs of furnace dynamics. However, if the instrumentation is available, the proposed control methodology can be extended to the measurements listed in (1) and (2).

Batur, Celal↗

Flight Test of an L(sub 1) Adaptive Controller on the NASA AirSTAR Flight Test Vehicle

This paper presents results of a flight test of the L-1 adaptive control architecture designed to directly compensate for significant uncertain cross-coupling in nonlinear systems. The flight test was conducted on the subscale turbine powered Generic Transport Model that is an integral part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research system at the NASA Langley Research Center. The results presented are for piloted tasks performed during the flight test.

Gregory, Irene M.↗

LaPlace Transform1 Adaptive Control Law in Support of Large Flight Envelope Modeling Work

This paper presents results of a flight test of the L1 adaptive control architecture designed to directly compensate for significant uncertain cross-coupling in nonlinear systems. The flight test was conducted on the subscale turbine powered Generic Transport Model that is an integral part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research system at the NASA Langley Research Center. The results presented are in support of nonlinear aerodynamic modeling and instrumentation calibration.

Gregory, Irene M.↗

Discrete-time entropy formulation of optimal and adaptive control problems

The discrete-time version of the entropy formulation of optimal control of problems developed by G. N. Saridis (1988) is discussed. Given a dynamical system, the uncertainty in the selection of the control is characterized by the probability distribution (density) function which maximizes the total entropy. The equivalence between the optimal control problem and the optimal entropy problem is established, and the total entropy is decomposed into a term associated with the certainty equivalent control law, the entropy of estimation, and the so-called equivocation of the active transmission of information from the controller to the estimator. This provides a useful framework for studying the certainty equivalent and adaptive control laws.

Tsai, Yweting A.↗

Inherent robustness of discrete-time adaptive control systems

Global stability robustness with respect to unmodeled dynamics, arbitrary bounded internal noise, as well as external disturbance is shown to exist for a class of discrete-time adaptive control systems when the regressor vectors of these systems are persistently exciting. Although fast adaptation is definitely undesirable, so far as attaining the greatest amount of global stability robustness is concerned, slow adaptation is shown to be not necessarily beneficial. The entire analysis in this paper holds for systems with slowly varying return difference matrices; the plants in these systems need not be slowly varying.

Ma, C. C. H.↗

Fault-tolerant adaptive control for load-following in static space nuclear power systems

The possible use of a dual-loop model-based adaptive control system for load following in static space nuclear power systems is investigated. The proposed approach has thus far been applied only to a thermoelectric space nuclear power system but is equally applicable to other static space nuclear power systems such as thermionic systems.

Parlos, Alexander G.↗