Development of a Quality Metric for Judging the Suitability
of Controller Designs Based on Bond Graph Technology
Introduction
When comparing the quality of different controller designs for controlling a
non-linear control system, the problem arises that different controllers
frequently make use of different measurement signals, sometimes they even
make use of different actuator signals. Most certainly they are characterized
by distinct internal structures. For this reason, it is difficult to
compare their suitability in an objective fashion.
In this project, power flows through a control system from the actuator
signals to the measurement signals were being analyzed. It is particularly
easy to follow these power flows through the system when the system is modeled
by means of bond graphs. An efficient controller should supply all parts of
the control system with power, at least during an active control phase. If
a part of the control system remains inactive, it is either not needed, or
the controller has not been optimally designed. Using an analogy: a body part
that isn't supplied with blood cannot perform any work.
The project developed methods for quantitatively determining the reachability
of a system component by the power flow. Thereby metrics were created that
enable the control engineer to judge:
- when it is time to stop with the pptimization of the parameters of a
controller, and
- which among a series of alternative optimized controllers is most suitable
for a control task at hand.
Most Important Publications
- McBride, R.T. and F.E. Cellier (2005),
System Efficiency Measurement Through Bond Graph Modeling,
Proc. ICBGM’05, 7th SCS Intl. Conf. on Bond Graph
Modeling and Simulation,
New Orleans, Louisiana, pp. 221-227.
- McBride, R.T. and F.E. Cellier (2005),
Optimal Control Gain Selection Using the Power Flow Information
of Bond Graph Modeling,
Proc. ICBGM’05, 7th SCS Intl. Conf. on Bond Graph
Modeling and Simulation,
New Orleans, Louisiana, pp. 228-232.
- McBride, R.T. (2005),
System Analysis Through Bond Graph Modeling,
PhD dissertation, Dept. of Electr. & Comp. Engr., University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
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Last modified: July 13, 2005 -- © François Cellier