Showing papers by "Ramon Costa-Castelló published in 2016"

An Interactivity-Based Methodology to Support Control Education: How to Teach and Learn Using Simple Interactive Tools [Lecture Notes]

Abstract: Modern engineering projects are multidisciplinary and involve the integration of diverse elements. Within this context, automatic control plays a crucial role. Automatic control is an area of knowledge with significant mathematical content, including differential equations, linear algebra, differential geometry, and/or complex variable among others [1]. Consequently, in many cases, automatic control is difficult for most students to grasp, especially in those cases where students have only an introductory control course in their engineering curriculum. Thus, teachers look for ways to introduce and make automatic control attractive for the students [2]. From the very beginning, graphical representation has been used as support in automatic control teaching. Looking back to the pioneering books in automatic control [3]-[11], it can be seen that there are plenty of schematics and figures. Graphical abstraction was also used to contribute to theoretical understanding [12]. Most of the relevant automatic control concepts, such as systems interconnection, frequency response, stability analysis, time response, and/or root locus, have been displayed graphically [13]. This type of representation has been considered for years as an excellent way to introduce automatic control concepts.

On Teaching Model-Based Fault Diagnosis in Engineering Curricula [Lecture Notes]

Abstract: Control and systems theory is a common subject in many engineering curricula. Students learn from the very basics of system modeling to the most recent advances in control algorithms. However, although fault diagnosis of dynamic systems is already a mature and an important field, it is not usually included in most engineering curricula.

Economic MPC for the energy management of hybrid vehicles including fuel cells and supercapacitors

Abstract: This paper addresses the energy management of hybrid vehicles using an economically-oriented model predictive control (EMPC) approach. A control modelling methodology is proposed based on considering the power flows that can be applied to the management of any hybrid vehicle configuration. Then, the proposed EMPC approach is formulated and the control objectives are formulated in terms of a multi-objective cost function. The proposed EMPC is illustrated in a hybrid vehicle that has a PEM fuel cell, a supercapacitor, a battery and a regenerative brake.

Rejection of periodic disturbances using MRAC with minimal controller synthesis

Abstract: The tracking/rejection of periodic disturbances in linear systems is achievable via internal model principle-based techniques, such as repetitive control. However, when the frequency of the signal to track/reject is uncertain or time-varying, the performance of these controllers decays dramatically. This article discusses the basics of Model Reference Adaptive Control with Minimal Controller Synthesis, and assesses its applicability to this problem from a comparative study of the performance of this type of controllers and a repetitive controller, both designed to regulate the speed of a DC motor subject to periodic disturbances. The study is supported by experimental results.

Hands on laboratory for classical nonlinear control systems: The dead-zone case

Abstract: Although many control systems are influenced by static non-linearities, most current hands-on laboratories will not show this type of behavior An analog board module, along with the classic setup plants, would provide a series of nonlinearities, whose effect could be studied and comprehended by students This paper describes the mentioned analog board module, focusing on the dead-zone nonlinearity