Yuz Eissmann, Juan Ignacio

A precursor to any advanced control solution is the step of obtaining an accurate model of the process. Suitable models can be obtained from phenomenological reasoning, analysis of plant data or a combination of both. Here, we will focus on the problem of estimating (or calibrating) models from plant data. A key goal is to achieve robust identification. By robust we mean that small errors in the hypotheses should lead to small errors in the estimated models. We argue that, in some circumstances, it is essential that special precautions be taken to ensure that robustness is preserved. We present several practical case studies to illustrate the results.

A new high gain control law is proposed for stably invertible linear systems. The continuous-time case is first studied to set ideas. The extension to the sampled-data case is made difficult by the presence of sampling zeros. For continuous-time systems having relative degree greater than or equal to two, these zeros converge, as the sampling rate approaches zero, to either marginally stable or unstable locations. A methodology which specifically addresses the sampling zero issue is developed. The methodology uses an approximate model which includes, when appropriate, the asymptotic sampling zeros. The core idea is supported by simulation studies. Also, a preliminary theoretical analysis is provided for degree two, showing that the design based on the approximate model stabilizes the true system for the continuous and sampled-data cases.