OPTIMAL CONTROL THEORY

A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE

PUNEET PANWAR
SCIENTIFIC OFFICER
BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE
Sourc e: https ://www .fl ic k r.c o m /ph ot os /s pac ex/406 284344 83/

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CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE EVERYWHERE

OPTIMAL CONTROL: A PERSPECTIVE BY PUNEET PANWAR

STORY OF
BOEING 737
MAX

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POWER OF FEEDBACK

For more: https://puneetpanwar.com/importance-of-feedback/

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CONTROL SYSTEMS

This basic feedback loop of

• sensing,
• computation, and
• actuation

is the central concept in control systems.

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BRIEF HISTORY
• The scene of 1940’s (First Generation):
o Drivers: The war effort, radar,..
o Concepts: Feedback, feedforward
o Design tools: Block diagrams, transfer functions
o Simulation & Implementation: Analog computing
• 1960s, Era of Modern Control:
o Drivers: space, computer control, mathematics
o Concepts: Optimal, stochastic, nonlinear, ...
o Computational tools: State space model, optimization
• 1980s, the third generation (robust multi-variable control): added
powerful formal methods to guarantee desired closed loop properties
in the face of uncertainties.
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CLASSICAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

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MODERN CONTROL SYSTEMS

• x(t) → state vector

• r(t) → reference input

• u(t) → control input

• y(t) → system output

Modern Control System Configuration

Non-linear system representation: Linear system representation:

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MATHEMATICAL OPTIMIZATION
Optimization is a process of finding minimum or
maximum of a function f(x) under some conditions
known as constraints

Number of optimization methods are present for

solving different type of optimization problems

These optimum seeking methods are also known

as mathematical programming techniques

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MATHEMATICAL OPTIMIZATION
Further optimization can be classified as:
Static Optimization:
o Design/system variables are not a function of time
o System is described using algebraic equations
o Techniques: ordinary calculus, Lagrange Multipliers, Linear and Non-
Linear programming

Dynamic Optimization:
o Design/system variables are a function of time
o System is described using differential (diff.) equations
o Techniques: DP, CV and Pontryagin principle

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WHAT IS
OPTIMAL
CONTROL?
Optimal control deals with determining optimal control signals which optimize
(minimize or maximize) an objective function along with satisfying some
physical constraints of the system

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PROBLEM
FORMULATION
Formulation of Optimal control problem requires:

a. Mathematical model of the plant to be controlled

b. Performance index to be optimized
c. Boundary conditions and physical constraints on the
states/control inputs

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PLANT
Mathematical model of the plant can be represented using set
of linear/non-linear differential or difference equations.

Non-Linear plant model can be represented as:

Linear model is represented as:

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PERFORMANCE INDEX
Few meaningful performance index used in optimal control are:

1. Time optimal control

2. Fuel optimal control

3. Quadratic Performance Index:

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CONSTRAINTS
The control input u(t) and state vector x(t) can be either
constrained or unconstrained.

In practice, we have limits on the values of states as well as

control input (actuator saturation), these are known as physical
constraints for optimization problem.

Input constraints:

State constraints:

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OPTIMAL CONTROL PROBLEM STATEMENT
For a linear time-invariant system, the optimal control problem is to
find, optimal control input u*(t) which forces the system:

to take the trajectory x*(t) that optimizes a PI:

with some constraints on control u(t) and state (x(t)) variables:

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OPTIMAL CONTROL IN REAL LIFE
Google Maps route optimization
• System being controlled is the
movement of a vehicle from one
location to another

• Control inputs are the actions taken by

the driver (e.g. turning, accelerating,
braking)

• The cost function is typically a

combination of factors such as distance,
time, traffic conditions, and road
quality, which are used to determine the
optimal route.

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 DESIGN OF STEAM DRUM MULTI-VARIABLE
CONTROLLER FOR LEVEL AND PRESSURE
CONTROL OF ADVANCE HEAVY WATER
REACTOR (AHWR)

P. Panwar, S. Mukhopadhyay, T. U. Bhatt and A. P. Tiwari, "Design of decentralized PI and LQR controllers for level and pressure
regulation of steam drum of advanced heavy water reactor," 2018 Indian Control Conference (ICC), Kanpur, India, 2018, pp. 258-
263, doi: 10.1109/INDIANCC.2018.8307988.

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PROCESS OF CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN
▪ Requirements: Specifications
▪ Architecture: System structure, sensors, actuators,
computers, communication, HMI
▪ Modeling and simulation: Physics and data
▪ Control Design: Models, algorithms and logic
▪ Implementation: Verification and validation
▪ Commissioning and tuning
▪ Operation: Diagnostics, assessment, fault detection
▪ Reconfiguration and upgrading
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AHWR MHT SYSTEM
❑ Stands for Main Heat Transport
System
❑ Extracts heat from core and
transports to steam drum
❑ Water volume in MHT system is
direct measure of core heat
removal capacity of reactor
❑ MHT system = Core + Coolant
channel + Tail pipe + Steam Drum +
Downcomer + Header + Feeder
pipe
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CONTROL PROBLEM
❑ Control inputs: i_TGV and i_f
❑ Controlled Output: Steam drum
level and Pressure
❑ Disturbance input: Q (heat input to
steam drum)

Problem Statement:
To Regulate Drum level and pressure by manipulating steam(qs) and
feedwater(qf) flow rate regardless of variation in demand power
changes.
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CHALLENGES
Shrink phenomenon Swell phenomenon

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LQR CONTROLLER RESPONSE

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LIMITATIONS OF OPTIMAL CONTROL
• Model accuracy

• Computational complexity

• Uncertainty

• Sensitivity to initial conditions

• Limited applicability to nonlinear systems

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THANK YOU
NIT TRICHY !

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A SENIOR TALKING TO HIS JUNIORS

• Reality is neutral
• Control your environment

• Have a routine

• Pay attention to your body

• Work hard

• Count your blessings

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