Modeling, Identification and Control: A Nordic Open Access Research Bulletin http://www.mic-journal.no We address the problem of state feedback translational motion control of a spacecraft formation through a modified sliding surface controller using variable gains and I^2 action for disturbance rejection. The exponential varying gains ensure faster convergence of the state trajectories during attitude maneuver while keeping the gains small (and the system less stiff) for station keeping. Integral action is introduced for rejection of disturbances with a constant nonzero mean such as aerodynamic drag. A direct consequence is a drop in energy consumption when affected by sensor noise and a decrease in size of the error states residual when operating close to the equilibrium point. A large number of simulation results are presented to show the control performance. ]]> 34 1 11 18 547437 Autonomous Lagrangian profilers are now widely used as measurement and monitoring platforms, notably in observation programs as Argo. In a typical mode of operation, the profilers drift passively at their parking depthbefore making a vertical profile to go back to the surface. This paperpresents simple and computationally-efficient control strategies to activelyselect and use ocean currents so that a profiler can autonomously reach adesired destination. After briefly presenting a typical profiler andpossible mechanical modifications for a coastal environment, we introducesimple mathematical models for the profiler and the currents it will use. Wethen present simple feedback controllers that, using the direction of thecurrents and taking into account the configuration of the environment(coastal or deep-sea), is able to steer the profiler to any desiredhorizontal location. To illustrate the approach, a few results are presentedusing both simulated currents and real current velocity profiles from the North Sea. ]]> 34 1 1 10 1669272 A novel experimental method -- here denoted the Good Gain method -- fortuning PI controllers is proposed. The method can be regarded as analternative to the famous Ziegler-Nichols' Ultimate Gain method. The approach takenresembles the Ziegler-Nichols' method as it is based on experiments with theclosed loop system with proportional control. However, the method does notrequire severe process upset during the tuning like sustained oscillations.Only well-damped responses are assumed. Furthermore, in the present study itis demonstrated that the approach typically gives better stability robustnesscomparing with the Ziegler-Nichols' method. The method is relatively simpleto use which is beneficial for the user. A theoretical rationale based on second order dynamics is given. ]]> 33 3 141 151 958464 In this paper, the stability problem is studied for a class of Markovian jump neutral nonlinear systems with time-varying delay. By Lyapunov-Krasovskii function approach, a novel mean-square exponential stability criterion is derived for the situations that the system's transition rates are completely accessible, partially accessible and non-accessible, respectively. Moreover, the developed stability criterion is extended to the systems with different bounded sector nonlinear constraints. Finally, some numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. ]]> 33 3 131 139 336963 This paper presents adaptable methods for achieving fast collision detection using the GPU and Nvidia CUDA together with Octrees. Earlier related work have focused on serial methods, while this paper presents a parallel solution which shows that there is a great increase in time if the number of operations is large. Two different models of the environment and the industrial robot are presented, the first is Octrees at different resolutions, the second is a point cloud representation. The relative merits of the two different world model representations are shown. In particular, the experimental results show the potential of adapting the resolution of the robot and environment models to the task at hand. ]]> 33 3 123 130 1222592 This paper deals with the kinematic synthesis problem of a 3-RRR spherical parallel manipulator, based on the evaluation criteria of the kinematic, kinetostatic and dynamic performances of the manipulator. A multiobjective optimization problem is formulated to optimize the structural and geometric parameters of the spherical parallel manipulator. The proposed approach is illustrated with the optimum design of a special spherical parallel manipulator with unlimited rolling motion. The corresponding optimization problem aims to maximize the kinematic and dynamic dexterities over its regular shaped workspace. ]]> 33 3 111 121 648194 This paper presents a numerical and experimental study of the losses in a hydrostatic motor principle. The motor is designed so that the structural deflections and lubricating regimes between moving surfaces and, subsequently, the leakage and friction losses, can be controlled during operation. This is done by means of additional pressure volumes that influence the stator deflection. These pressures are referred to as compensation pressures and the main emphasis is on friction or torque loss modeling of the motor as a function of the compensation pressures and the high and low pressures related to the load torque. The torque loss modeling is identified as a Stribeck curve which depends on gap height. The asperity friction is decreasing exponentially with an increase in gap height. The parameters of the torque loss model are based on prototype measurements that include the structural deflections of the lubricating gap faces. ]]> 33 3 99 109 590386 In this work, a new strategy to design passive energy dissipation systems for vibration control of large structures is presented. The method is based on the equivalence between passive damping systems and fully decentralized static velocity-feedback controllers. This equivalence allows to take advantage of recent developments in static output-feedback control design to formulate the passive-damping design as a single optimization problem with Linear Matrix Inequality constraints. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, a passive damping system is designed for the seismic protection of a five-story building with excellent results. ]]> 33 3 87 97 448364 This paper presents a review of different approaches for Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) of induction machines and drive trains in offshore applications. The paper contains an overview of common failure modes, monitoring techniques, approaches for diagnostics, and an overview of typical maintenance actions. Although many papers have been written in this area before, this paper puts an emphasis on recent developments and limits the scope to induction machines and drive trains applied in applications located offshore. ]]> 33 2 69 86 708641 This paper presents the explicit dynamic equations of multibody mechanical systems. This is the second paper on this topic. In the first paper the dynamics of a single rigid body from the Boltzmann--Hamel equations were derived. In this paper these results are extended to also include multibody systems. We show that when quasi-velocities are used, the part of the dynamic equations that appear from the partial derivatives of the system kinematics are identical to the single rigid body case, but in addition we get terms that come from the partial derivatives of the inertia matrix, which are not present in the single rigid body case. We present for the first time the complete and correct derivation of multibody systems based on the Boltzmann--Hamel formulation of the dynamics in Lagrangian form where local position and velocity variables are used in the derivation to obtain the singularity-free dynamic equations. The final equations are written in global variables for both position and velocity. The main motivation of these papers is to allow practitioners not familiar with differential geometry to implement the dynamic equations of rigid bodies without the presence of singularities. Presenting the explicit dynamic equations also allows for more insight into the dynamic structure of the system. Another motivation is to correct some errors commonly found in the literature. Unfortunately, the formulation of the Boltzmann-Hamel equations used here are presented incorrectly. This has been corrected by the authors, but we present here, for the first time, the detailed mathematical details on how to arrive at the correct equations. We also show through examples that using the equations presented here, the dynamics of a single rigid body is reduced to the standard equations on a Lagrangian form, for example Euler's equations for rotational motion and Euler--Lagrange equations for free motion. ]]> 33 2 61 68 312847 This paper presents the explicit dynamic equations of a mechanical system. The equations are presented so that they can easily be implemented in a simulation software or controller environment and are also well suited for system and controller analysis. The dynamics of a general mechanical system consisting of one or more rigid bodies can be derived from the Lagrangian. We can then use several well known properties of Lie groups to guarantee that these equations are well defined. This will, however, often lead to rather abstract formulation of the dynamic equations that cannot be implemented in a simulation software directly. In this paper we close this gap and show what the explicit dynamic equations look like. These equations can then be implemented directly in a simulation software and no background knowledge on Lie theory and differential geometry on the practitioner's side is required. This is the first of two papers on this topic. In this paper we derive the dynamics for single rigid bodies, while in the second part we study multibody systems. In addition to making the equations more accessible to practitioners, a motivation behind the papers is to correct a few errors commonly found in literature. For the first time, we show the detailed derivations and how to arrive at the correct set of equations. We also show through some simple examples that these correspond with the classical formulations found from Lagrange's equations. The dynamics is derived from the Boltzmann--Hamel equations of motion in terms of local position and velocity variables and the mapping to the corresponding quasi-velocities. Finally we present a new theorem which states that the Boltzmann--Hamel formulation of the dynamics is valid for all transformations with a Lie group topology. This has previously only been indicated through examples, but here we also present the formal proof. The main motivation of these papers is to allow practitioners not familiar with differential geometry to implement the dynamic equations of rigid bodies without the presence of singularities. Presenting the explicit dynamic equations also allows for more insight into the dynamic structure of the system. Another motivation is to correct some errors commonly found in the literature. Unfortunately, the formulation of the Boltzmann-Hamel equations used here are presented incorrectly. This has been corrected by the authors, but we present here, for the first time, the detailed mathematical details on how to arrive at the correct equations. We also show through examples that using the equations presented here, the dynamics of a single rigid body is reduced to the standard equations on a Lagrangian form, for example Euler's equations for rotational motion and Euler--Lagrange equations for free motion. ]]> 33 2 45 60 433361 A simple Linear Quadratic (LQ) optimal controller of velocity (incremental) form with approximately the same properties as a conventional PID controller of velocity form is presented, i.e. integral action. The proposed optimal controller is insensitive to slowly varying system and measurement trends and has the ability of stabilizing any linear dynamic system under weak assumptions such as the stabilizability of the system and the detectability of the system seen from the performance index. ]]> 33 2 35 44 671800 This paper is concerned with the robust control problems for the synchronization of master-slave chaotic systems with disturbance input. By constructing a series of Lyapunov functions, novel H-Infinity robust synchronization controllers are designed, whose control regulation possess the characteristic of simpleness and explicitness. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. ]]> 33 1 27 34 464095 Proper allocation and distribution of lift gas is necessary for maximizing total oil production from a field with gas lifted oil wells. When the supply of the lift gas is limited, the total available gas should be optimally distributed among the oil wells of the field such that the total production of oil from the field is maximized. This paper describes a non-linear optimization problem with constraints associated with the optimal distribution of the lift gas. A non-linear objective function is developed using a simple dynamic model of the oil field where the decision variables represent the lift gas flow rate set points of each oil well of the field. The lift gas optimization problem is solved using the fmincon solver found in MATLAB. As an alternative and for verification, hill climbing method is utilized for solving the optimization problem. Using both of these methods, it has been shown that after optimization, the total oil production is increased by about 4%. For multiple oil wells sharing lift gas from a common source, a cascade control strategy along with a nonlinear steady state optimizer behaves as a self-optimizing control structure when the total supply of lift gas is assumed to be the only input disturbance present in the process. Simulation results show that repeated optimization performed after the first time optimization under the presence of the input disturbance has no effect in the total oil production. ]]> 33 1 13 25 486948 The main focus of this paper is the experimental and numerical investigation of a 750kW wind turbine gearbox. A detailed model of the gearbox with main shaft has been created using MSC.Adams. Special focus has been put on modeling the planet carrier (PLC) in the gearbox. For this purpose experimental data from a drive train test set up has been analyzed using parameter identification to quantify misalignments. Based on the measurements a combination of main shaft misalignment and planet carrier deflection has been identified. A purely numerical model has been developed and it shows good accordance with the experimental data. ]]> 33 1 1 11 2218116 In this paper three bushing models are evaluated to find a best practice in modeling the mounting of wind turbine gearboxes. Parameter identification on measurements has been used to determine the bushing parameters for dynamic simulation of a gearbox including main shaft. The stiffness of the main components of the gearbox has been calculated. The torsional stiffness of the main shaft, gearbox and the mounting of the gearbox are of same order of magnitude, and eigenfrequency analysis clearly reveals that the stiffness of the gearbox mounting is of importance when modeling full wind turbine drivetrains. ]]> 32 4 141 149 1254181 The main purpose of this paper is a study of the efficiency of different nonlinearity detection methods based on time-series data from a dynamic process as a part of system identification. A very useful concept in measuring the nonlinearity is the definition of a suitable index to measure any deviation from linearity. To analyze the properties of such an index, the observed time series is assumed to be the output of Volterra series driven by a Gaussian input. After reviewing these methods, some modifications and new indices are proposed, and a benchmark simulation study is made. Correlation analysis, harmonic analysis and higher order spectrum analysis are selected methods to be investigated in our simulations. Each method has been validated with its own advantages and disadvantages.]]> 32 4 123 140 1055951 In this paper we present the design of a sliding mode controller for attitude control of spacecraft actuated by three orthogonal reaction wheels. The equilibrium of the closed loop system is proved to be asymptotically stable in the sense of Lyapunov. Due to cases where spacecraft do not have angular velocity measurements, an estimator for the generalized velocity is derived and asymptotic stability is proven for the observer. The approach is tested on an experimental platform with a sphere shaped Autonomous Underwater Vehicle SATellite: AUVSAT, developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.]]> 32 3 113 121 1734322 Cross direction (CD) control in sheet-forming process forms a challenging problem with high dimensions. Accounting the interactions between different properties and actuators, the dimensionality increases further and also computational issues arise. We present a multiple property controller feasible to be used especially with imaging measurements that provide high sampling frequency and therefore enable short control interval. The simulation results state the benefits of multiple property CD control over single property control and single property control using full feedforward compensation. The controller presented may also be tuned in automated manner and the results demonstrate the effect of tuning on input saturation.]]> 32 3 103 112 880533 Human arm motion can inspire the trajectory planning of anthropomorphic robotic arms to achieve energy-efficient movements. An approach for predicting metabolic cost in the planar human arm motion by means of the biomechanical simulation is proposed in this work. Two biomechanical models, including an analytical model and a musculoskeletal model, are developed to implement the proposed approach. The analytical model is developed by modifying a human muscle expenditure model, in which the muscles are grouped as torque providers for computation efficiency. In the musculoskeletal model, the predication of metabolic cost is conducted on the basis of individual muscles. With the proposed approach, metabolic costs for parameterized target-reaching arm motions are calculated and utilized to identify optimal arm trajectories.]]> 32 3 91 101 686061 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2011-1.pdf To enable formal verification of a dynamical system, given by a set of differential equations, it is abstracted by a finite state model. This allows for application of methods for model checking. Consequently, it opens the possibility of carrying out the verification of reachability and timing requirements, which by classical control methods is impossible. We put forward a method for abstracting dynamical systems, where level sets of Lyapunov functions are used to generate the partitioning of the state space. We propose to partition the state space using an entire family of functions. The properties of these functions ensure that the discrete model captures the behaviors of a dynamical system by generating appropriate equivalence classes of the states. These equivalence classes make up the partition of the state space.]]> 32 2 79 90 494863 In this work, the main ideas involved in the design of overlapping and multi-overlapping controllers via the Inclusion Principle are discussed and illustrated in the context of the Structural Vibration Control of tall buildings under seismic excitation. A detailed theoretical background on the Inclusion Principle and the design of overlapping controllers is provided. Overlapping and multi-overlapping LQR controllers are designed for a simplified five-story building model. Numerical simulations are conducted to asses the performance of the proposed semi-decentralized controllers with positive results.]]> 32 2 57 77 620489 In this paper, the mean-square filtering problem for polynomial system states confused with white Poisson noises over polynomial observations is studied proceeding from the general expression for the stochastic Ito differentials of the mean-square estimate and the error variance. In contrast to the previously obtained results, the paper deals with the general case of nonlinear polynomial states and observations with white Poisson noises. As a result, the Ito differentials for the mean-square estimate and error variance corresponding to the stated filtering problem are first derived. The procedure for obtaining an approximate closed-form finite-dimensional system of the filtering equations for any polynomial state over observations with any polynomial drift is then established. In the example, the obtained closed-form filter is applied to solve the third order sensor filtering problem for a quadratic state, assuming a conditionally Poisson initial condition for the extended third order state vector. The simulation results show that the designed filter yields a reliable and rapidly converging estimate.]]> 32 2 47 55 342485 The Bond Graph is the proper choice of physical system used for: (i) Modeling which can be applied to systems combining multidisciplinary energy domains, (ii) Analysis to provide a great value proposition for finding the algebraic loops within the system enabling the process of troubleshooting and eliminating the defects by using the proper component(s) to fix the causality conflict even without being acquainted in the proper system, and (iii) Simulation facilitated through derived state space equations from the Bond Graph model is solved using industrial simulation software, such as 20-Sim, www.20sim.com. The Bond Graph technique is a graphical language of modeling, in which component energy ports are connected by bonds that specify the transfer of energy between system components. Following a brief introduction of the Bond Graph methodology and techniques, two separate case studies are comprehensively addressed. The first case study is a systematic implementation of a fourth order electrical system and conversion to mechanical system while the second case study presents modeling of the Dielectric Electro Active Polymer (DEAP) actuator. Building the systematic Bond Graph of multifaceted system and ease of switching between different domains are aims of the first case study while the second study shows how a complex mechatronic system could be analyzed and built by the Bond Graph. The respective Bond Graphs in each case is evaluated in the light of mathematical equations and simulations. Excellent correlation has been achieved between the simulation results and proper system equations.]]> 32 1 35 45 1041977 The Czochralski (CZ) crystallization process is used to produce monocrystalline silicon for solar cell wafers and electronics. Tight temperature control of the molten silicon is most important for achieving high crystal quality. SINTEF Materials and Chemistry operates a CZ process. During one CZ batch, two pyrometers were used for temperature measurement. The silicon pyrometer measures the temperature of the molten silicon. This pyrometer is assumed to be accurate, but has much high-frequency measurement noise. The graphite pyrometer measures the temperature of a graphite material. This pyrometer has little measurement noise. There is quite a good correlation between the two pyrometer measurements. This paper presents a sensor fusion algorithm that merges the two pyrometer signals for producing a temperature estimate with little measurement noise, while having significantly less phase lag than traditional lowpass- filtering of the silicon pyrometer. The algorithm consists of two sub-algorithms: (i) A dynamic model is used to estimate the silicon temperature based on the graphite pyrometer, and (ii) a lowpass filter and a highpass filter designed as complementary filters. The complementary filters are used to lowpass-filter the silicon pyrometer, highpass-filter the dynamic model output, and merge these filtered signals. Hence, the lowpass filter attenuates noise from the silicon pyrometer, while the graphite pyrometer and the dynamic model estimate those frequency components of the silicon temperature that are lost when lowpass-filtering the silicon pyrometer. The algorithm works well within a limited temperature range. To handle a larger temperature range, more research must be done to understand the process' nonlinear dynamics, and build this into the dynamic model.]]> 32 1 17 32 569114 Accurate contact modeling is of great importance in the field of dynamic chain simulations. In this paper emphasis is on contact dynamics for a time-domain simulation model of large chains guided in a closed loop track. The chain model is based on theory for unconstrained rigid multibody dynamics where contact within the chain and with the track is defined through continuous point contacts using the contact indentation and rate as means. This paper presents an implicit method to determine contact parameters of the chain model through the use of none gradient optimization methods. The set of model parameters are estimated by minimizing the residual between simulated and measured results. The parameter identification is tested on four different formulations of the Hunt-Crossly hysteresis damping factor with the aim of recognizing a superior model. ]]> 32 1 1 15 655405 Some analytical results concerning PI controller tuning based on integrator plus time delay models are worked out and presented. A method for obtaining PI controller parameters, Kp=alpha/(k*tau), and, Ti=beta*tau, which ensures a given prescribed maximum time delay error, dtau_max, to time delay, tau, ratio parameter delta=d\tau_max/tau, is presented. The corner stone in this method, is a method product parameter, c=alpha*beta. Analytical relations between the PI controller parameters, Ti, and, Kp, and the time delay error parameter, delta, is presented, and we propose the setting, beta=c/a*(delta+1), and, alpha=a/(delta+1), which gives, Ti=c/a*(delta+1)*tau, and Kp=a/((delta+1)*k*tau), where the parameter, a, is constant in the method product parameter, c=alpha*beta. It also turns out that the integral time, Ti, is linear in, delta, and the proportional gain, Kp, inversely proportional to, delta+1. For the original Ziegler Nichols (ZN) method this parameter is approximately, c=2.38, and the presented method may e.g., be used to obtain new modified ZN parameters with increased robustness margins, also documented in the paper. ]]> 31 4 145 164 651142 This paper describes the implementation of an interactive real-time dynamic simulation model of a hydraulic crane. The user input to the model is given continuously via joystick and output is presented continuously in a 3D animation. Using this simulation model, a tool point control scheme is developed for the specific crane, considering the saturation phenomena of the system and practical implementation.]]> 31 4 133 143 610236 In this paper we present magnetic control of a spacecraft using the Dichotomous Coordinate Descent (DCD) algorithm with box constraints. What is common for most work on magnetic spacecraft control is the technique for solving for the control variables of the magnetic torquers where a cross product is included which is well known to be singular. The DCD algorithm provides a new scheme which makes it possible to use a general control law and then adapt it to work for magnetic torquers including restrictions in available magnetic moment, instead of designing a specialized controller for the magnetic control problem. A non-linear passivity-based sliding surface controller is derived for a fully actuated spacecraft and is then implemented for magnetic control by utilizing the previous mentioned algorithm. Results from two simulations are provided, the first comparing the results from the DCD algorithm with older results, and the second showing how easily the derived sliding surface controller may be implemented, improving our results. ]]> 31 4 123 131 485225 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2010-2.pdf This paper reports on experiences from case studies in using Modelica/Dymola models interfaced to control and optimization software, as process models in real time process control applications. Possible applications of the integrated models are in state- and parameter estimation and nonlinear model predictive control. It was found that this approach is clearly possible, providing many advantages over modeling in low-level programming languages. However, some effort is required in making the Modelica models accessible to NMPC software.

Particular consideration is given to implementation of gradient computation for real-time dynamic optimization, where the dynamic models can be Modelica models. Analytical methods for gradient computation based on sensitivity integration are compared to finite difference-based methods. A case study reveals that analytical methods outperform finite difference-methods as the number of inputs and/or input blocks increases.]]> 31 3 107 121 523576 This paper introduces a methodology for differential nonlinear stability analysis using contraction theory (Lohmiller and Slotine, 1998). The methodology includes four distinct steps: the descriptions of two systems to be compared (the plant and the observer in the case of observer convergence analysis, the plant and the controller in the case of tracking controller analysis), the definition of an abstract system common to the two systems and denoted as the 'virtual system', and the convergence study of the virtual system using its virtual dynamics representation. The approach is illustrated on several simple examples. ]]> 31 3 93 106 693899 This paper demonstrates a number of PI controller tuning methods being used to tune a temperature controller for a real air heater. Indices expressing setpoint tracking and disturbance compensation and stability margin (robustness) are calculated. From these indices and a personal impression about how quick a method is to deliver the tuning result and how simple it is to use, a winning method is identified. ]]> 31 3 79 91 2387994 This paper is about position control of a specific small-scale pilot underwater lifting body where the lifting force stems from buoyancy adjusted with an air pocket in the lifting body. A mathematical model is developed to get a basis for a simulator which is used for testing and for designing the control system, including tuning controller parameters. A number of different position controller solutions were tried both on a simulator and on the physical system. Successful control on both the simulator and the physical system was obtained with cascade control based on feedback from measured position and height of the air pocket in the lifting body. The primary and the secondary controllers of the cascade control system were tuned using Skogestad's model-based PID tuning rules. Feedforward from estimated load force was implemented in combination with the cascade control system, giving a substantial improvement of the position control system, both with varying position reference and varying disturbance (load mass). ]]> 31 2 67 77 1149122 Standard models describing bio-gasification using anaerobic digestion do not include necessary processes to describe digester dynamics under the conditions of oxygen presence. Limited oxygenation in anaerobic digestion can sometimes be beneficial. The oxygen effects included anaerobic digestion model, ADM 1-Ox, was simulated against experimental data obtained from laboratory scale anaerobic digesters operated under different oxygenation conditions. ADM 1-Ox predictions are generally in good agreement with the trends of the experimental data. ADM 1-Ox simulations suggest the existence of an optimum oxygenation level corresponding to a peak methane yield. The positive impact of oxygenation on methane yield is more pronounced at conditions characterized by low hydrolysis rate coefficients (slowly degradable feed) and low biomass concentrations. The optimum oxygenation point moves towards zero when the hydrolysis rate coefficient and the biomass concentration increase. Accordingly, the impact of oxygenation on methane yield can either be positive or negative depending on the digestion system characteristics. The developed ADM 1-Ox model can therefore be a valuable tool for recognizing suitable operating conditions for achieving the maximum benefits from partial aeration in anaerobic digestion. ]]> 31 2 55 65 1402794 Explicit MPC of constrained linear systems is known to result in a piecewise affine controller and therefore also piecewise affine closed loop dynamics. The complexity of such analytic formulations of the control law can grow exponentially with the prediction horizon. The suboptimal solutions offer a trade-off in terms of complexity and several approaches can be found in the literature for the construction of approximate MPC laws. In the present paper a piecewise quadratic (PWQ) Lyapunov function is used for the stability verification of an of approximate explicit Model Predictive Control (MPC). A novel relaxation method is proposed for the LMI criteria on the Lyapunov function design. This relaxation is applicable to the design of PWQ Lyapunov functions for discrete-time piecewise affine systems in general. ]]> 31 2 45 54 345113 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2010-1.pdf The main contribution of the paper is the development of an adaptive backstepping controller for a nonlinear hydraulic-mechanical system considering valve dynamics. The paper also compares the performance of two variants of an adaptive backstepping tracking controller with a simple PI controller. The results show that the backstepping controller considering valve dynamics achieves significantly better tracking performance than the PI controller, while handling uncertain parameters related to internal leakage, friction, the orifice equation and oil characteristics. ]]> 31 1 35 44 477141 The Czochralski (CZ) crystallization process is used to produce monocrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline silicon is used in solar cell wafers and in computers and electronics. The CZ process is a batch process, where multicrystalline silicon is melted in a crucible and later solidifies on a monocrystalline seed crystal. The crucible is heated using a heating element where the power is manipulated using a triode for alternating current (TRIAC). As the electric resistance of the heating element increases by increased temperature, there are significant dynamics from the TRIAC input signal (control system output) to the actual (measured) heating element power. The present paper focuses on empirical modeling of these dynamics. The modeling is based on a dataset logged from a real-life CZ process. Initially the dataset is preprocessed by detrending and handling outliers. Next, linear ARX, ARMAX, and output error (OE) models are identfied. As the linear models do not fully explain the process' behavior, nonlinear system identification is applied. The Hammerstein-Wiener (HW) model structure is chosen. The final model identified is a Hammerstein model, i.e. a HW model with nonlinearity at the input, but not at the output. This model has only one more identified parameter than the linear OE model, but still improves the optimization criterion (mean squared ballistic simulation errors) by a factor of six. As there is no nonlinearity at the output, the dynamics from the prediction error to the model output are linear, which allows a noise model to be added. Comparison of a Hammerstein model with noise model and the linear ARMAX model, both optimized for mean squared one-step-ahead prediction errors, shows that this optimization criterion is 42% lower for the Hammerstein model. Minimizing the number of parameters to be identified has been an important consideration throughout the modeling work. ]]> 31 1 19 34 373803 In this article we develop a method of solving general one-dimensional Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) problems in optimal control theory, using a generalized form of Fibonacci numbers. We find the solution R(k) of the corresponding discrete-time Riccati equation in terms of ratios of generalized Fibonacci numbers. An explicit Binet type formula for R(k) is also found, removing the need for recursively finding the solution at a given timestep. Moreover, we show that it is also possible to express the feedback gain, the penalty functional and the controller state in terms of these ratios. A generalized golden ratio appears in the corresponding infinite horizon problem. Finally, we show the use of the method in a few examples. ]]> 31 1 1 18 439325 Interaction of free oxygen in bio-gasification is a sparsely studied area, apart from the common argument of oxygen being toxic and inhibitory for anaerobic micro-cultures. Some studies have, however, revealed increased solubilisation of organic matter in the presence of some free oxygen in anaerobic digestion. This article analyses these counterbalancing phenomena with a mathematical modelling approach using the widely accepted biochemical model ADM 1. Aerobic oxidation of soluble carbon and inhibition of obligatory anaerobic organisms are modelled using standard saturation type kinetics. Biomass dependent first order hydrolysis kinetics is used to relate the increased hydrolysis rate with oxygen induced increase in biomass growth. The amended model, ADM 1-Ox (oxygen), has 25 state variables and 22 biochemical processes, presented in matrix form. The computer aided simulation tool AQUASIM 2.1 is used to simulate the developed model. Simulation predictions are evaluated against experimental data obtained using a laboratory batch test array comprising miniature anaerobic bio-reactors of 100 ml total volume each, operated under different initial air headspaces giving rise to the different oxygen loading conditions. The reactors were initially fed with a glucose solution and incubated at 35 Celsius, for 563 hours. Under the oxygen load conditions of 22, 44 and 88 mg/L, the ADM1-Ox model simulations predicted the experimental methane potentials quite adequately. Both the experimental data and the simulations suggest a linear reduction of methane potential with respect to the increase in oxygen load within this range. ]]> 30 4 191 201 675515 A novel promising bootstrap subspace system identification algorithm for both open and closed loop systems is presented. An outline of the SSARX algorithm by Jansson (2003) is given and a modified SSARX algorithm is presented. Some methods which are consistent for closed loop subspace system identification presented in the literature are discussed and compared to a recently published subspace algorithm which works for both open as well as for closed loop data, i.e., the DSR_e algorithm as well as the bootstrap method. Experimental comparisons are performed by Monte Carlo simulations. ]]> 30 4 203 222 412113 This article presents a condensed overview of the development of dynamics from Ancient Greece through to the late 18th century. Its purpose is to bring an often neglected topic to the control community in as interesting a fashion as the author can achieve. ]]> 30 4 223 235 667211 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2009-3.pdf This paper presents the initial activities in servo engineering in Norway originating in the early 1950s based on contacts at the Massachusets Institute of Technology. The activities were initiated by a small group of servo enthusiasts who, through the Feedback Control Committee in the research council, managed to coordinate national activities and establish strong research groups in Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo. After the initial phase of establishing the research groups, there was a continuous strong focus on connections with industry and industrial applications. In the mid-1960s the committee was strengthened and became the Automation and Data Processing Committee. The initial group of automation pioneers have left a lasting impact on the academic and industrial fields of servo engineering and automation in Norway. ]]> 30 3 87 100 1365114 This paper tells the story of Jens Glad Balchen (1926-2009), a Norwegian research scientist and engineer who is widely regarded as the father of Engineering Cybernetics in Norway. In 1954, he founded what would later become the Department of Automatic Control at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim. This name was changed to the Department of Engineering Cybernetics in 1972 to reflect the broader efforts being made, not only within the purely technical disciplines, but also within biology, oceanography and medicine. Balchen established an advanced research community in cybernetics in postwar Norway, whose applications span everything from the process industry and positioning of ships to control of fish and lobster farming. He was a chief among the tribe of Norwegian cybernetics engineers and made a strong impact on his colleagues worldwide. He planted the seeds of a whole generation of Norwegian industrial companies through his efforts of seeking applications for every scientific breakthrough. His strength and his wisdom in combination with his remarkable stubbornness gave extraordinary results. ]]> 30 3 101 125 4943621 A short overview of the developments at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at NTNU over the last 15 years is given. The vision of the department is to stay among Europe's most well recognized universities in control engineering, both with respect to education and research. It is discussed how this is achieved, and will continue to be strengthened in the future. ]]> 30 3 127 132 109619 Master studies in process automation started in 1989 at what soon became Telemark University College, and the 20 year anniversary marks the start of our own PhD degree in Process, Energy and Automation Engineering. The paper gives an overview of research activities related to control engineering at Department of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Cybernetics. ]]> 30 3 133 147 1317504 Most engineers are (indirectly) trained to be "feedforward thinkers" and they immediately think of "model inversion" when it comes to doing control. Thus, they prefer to rely on models instead of data, although feedback solutions in most cases are much simpler and more robust. ]]> 30 3 149 155 535788 MIC celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009 and Xstrata Nikkelverk celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2010. Both anniversaries are certainly worth celebrating and with this article Xstrata Nikkelverk salutes MIC at this special occasion. ]]> 30 3 157 165 285248 One key competence for robot manufacturers is robot control, defined as all the technologies needed to control the electromechanical system of an industrial robot. By means of modeling, identification, optimization, and model-based control it is possible to reduce robot cost, increase robot performance, and solve requirements from new automation concepts and new application processes. Model-based control, including kinematics error compensation, optimal servo reference- and feed-forward generation, and servo design, tuning, and scheduling, has meant a breakthrough for the use of robots in industry. Relying on this breakthrough, new automation concepts such as high performance multi robot collaboration and human robot collaboration can be introduced. Robot manufacturers can build robots with more compliant components and mechanical structures without loosing performance and robots can be used also in applications with very high performance requirements, e.g., in assembly, machining, and laser cutting. In the future it is expected that the importance of sensor control will increase, both with respect to sensors in the robot structure to increase the control performance of the robot itself and sensors outside the robot related to the applications and the automation systems. In this connection sensor fusion and learning functionalities will be needed together with the robot control for easy and intuitive installation, programming, and maintenance of industrial robots. ]]> 30 3 167 180 7773544 This paper considers current trends in academic research and publication, in particular as seen from the control community. The introduction of Internet-based Web 2.0 applications for scientists and engineers is currently changing the way research is being done. In the near future, participants in the research community will be able to share ideas, data and results on a whole new level. They will also be able to manage the rapidly increasing amount of scientific information much more effectively than today through collaborative efforts enabled by the new Internet tools. However, a necessary premise for such a development is the availability of research material. Many research results are currently well protected behind expensive subscription schemes that impede the free sharing of information. At the same time, an increasing amount of research is being published through open access channels with unrestricted availability. Interestingly, recent studies show that such policies contribute to an increased number of citations compared to the pay-based alternatives. In sum, the parallel development of new tools for research collaboration and an increased access to research material may help spur a revolution in the way research is being done.]]> 30 3 181 190 205128 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2009-2.pdf One of the main advantages of the Gantry-Tau machine is a large accessible workspace/footprint ratio compared to many other parallel machines. The Gantry-Tau improves this ration further by allowing a change of assembly mode without internal link collisions or collisions between the links and end-effector. The reconfigurable Gantry-Tau kinematic design obtained by multi-objective optimisation according to this paper gives the following features: 3-D workspace/footprint ratio is more than 3.19, lowest Cartesian stiffness in the workspace is $5N/\mu m$ and no link collisions detected. The optimisation parameters are the support frame lengths, the actuator positions and the robot's arm lengths. The results comparison between the evolutionary complex search algorithm and gradient-based method used for the Gantry-Tau design in the past is also presented in this paper. The detailed statics model analysis of the Gantry-Tau based on a functionally dependency is presented in this paper for the first time. Both the statics model and complex search algorithm may be applied for other 3-DOF Hexapods without major changes. The existing lab prototype of the Gantry-Tau was assembled and completed at the University of Agder, Norway. ]]> 30 2 39 56 2078085 In this paper, we address the control design problem of positioning of over-actuated marine vehicles with control allocation. The proposed design is based on a combined position and velocity loops in a multi-variable anti-windup implementation together with a control allocation mapping. The vehicle modelling is considered with appropriate simplifications related to low-speed manoeuvring hydrodynamics and vehicle symmetry. The control design is considered together with a control allocation mapping. We derive analytical tuning rules based on requirements of closed-loop stability and performance. The anti- windup implementation of the controller is obtained by mapping the actuator-force constraint set into a constraint set for the generalized forces. This approach ensures that actuation capacity is not violated by constraining the generalized control forces; thus, the control allocation is simplified since it can be formulated as an unconstrained problem. The mapping can also be modified on-line based on actuator availability to provide actuator-failure accommodation. We provide a proof of the closed-loop stability and illustrate the performance using simulation scenarios for an open-frame underwater vehicle.]]> 30 2 57 70 2137375 Some methods for consistent closed loop subspace system identification presented in the literature are analyzed and compared to a recently published subspace algorithm for both open as well as for closed loop data, the DSR_e algorithm. Some new variants of this algorithm are presented and discussed. Simulation experiments are included in order to illustrate if the algorithms are variance efficient or not.]]> 30 2 71 86 357503 http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/Editorials/ED-2009.pdf This article describes a Matlab toolbox for parametric identification of fluid-memory models associated with the radiation forces ships and offshore structures. Radiation forces are a key component of force-to- motion models used in simulators, motion control designs, and also for initial performance evaluation of wave-energy converters. The software described provides tools for preparing non-parmatric data and for identification with automatic model-order detection. The identification problem is considered in the frequency domain. ]]> 30 1 1 15 1034175 This paper focuses on the design and evaluation of a robust explicit moving horizon controller and a robust explicit moving horizon estimator for a batch polymerization process. It is of particular interest since there are currently no reported case studies or implementations of the explicit parametric controller/estimator for batch and polymerization processes. In this paper we aim at achieving tight offset-free tracking of a desired reactor temperature profile, making accurate states estimation despite of the possible perturbations, and demonstrating the practical applicability to a case with industrially relevant complexity. ]]> 30 1 17 25 418698 This paper investigates a convex optimization approach to the problem of robust H-Infinity filtering for uncertain linear systems connected over a common digital communication network. We consider the case where quantizers are static and the parameter uncertainties are norm bounded. Firstly, we propose a new model to investigate the effect of both the output quantization levels and the network conditions. Secondly, by introducing a descriptor technique, using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and a suitable change of variables, new required sufficient conditions are established in terms of delay-dependent linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for the existence of the desired network-based quantized filters with simultaneous consideration of network induced delays and measurement quantization. The explicit expression of the filters is derived to satisfy both asymptotic stability and a prescribed level of disturbance attenuation for all admissible norm bounded uncertainties. ]]> 30 1 27 37 251396