ON THE DESIGN OF AN ADAPTIVE CONTROLLER FOR UNCERTAIN PLANTS VIA LIAPUNOV SIGNAL SYNTHESIS METHOD

Abstract

This paper presents an adaptive design approach for controlling a class of unknown nonlinear multivariable plants operating in an uncertain environment. The approach uses a “two-level” control technique, with a feedforward controller on its first-level, and a conditional feedback controller on its second-level. The procedure employs a Liapunov type signal synthesis approach. By introducing a characteristic vector, which is characteristic of the unknown plant and its environment, the design of the controller bypasses the rigid requirements of explicit identification of the plant and its environment as needed in the implementation of a controller using conventional techniques.

The applicability of this control approach is demonstrated by means of hybrid computer simulation studies which were carried out on a number of unknown plants; however, in this paper we present some simulation results for an exothermic chemical reactor.