The employees of the IPMash RAS youth Laboratory of Adaptive and Intelligent Control of Network and Distributed Systems have created an algorithm for automatic required-quality control of complicated systems at any point of time. The developed algorithm, unlike analogues, allows for instant high-quality control of the process and is well-behaved even in the case of unknown parameters and actions of the external environment.

The results of the study were published in the European Journal of Control.

In the theory of automatic control, one of the key tasks is to find a control device which is capable to guarantee the required quality of control at any point of time. Today, in conditions of uncertainty of the system parameters and the external environment, most of the proposed solutions guarantee the desired quality only in steady operating mode, that is, after some time has passed since the start of the system operation. In other words, it takes time for the control device to evaluate the system parameters and to develop an algorithm of action.

Meanwhile, emergency situations may occur at any point of time, as well as immediately after start. For example, when controlling an electric power network, it is important to ensure that the voltage and frequency of alternating current are within the specified limits at any point of time, otherwise failure to comply with these requirements may lead to failure of equipment which is connected to the network.

“In a recent article, we proposed a solution which allows to guarantee that the regulated signals of technical systems are within the limits specified by the developer at any point of time. It is shown that the proposed results are functioning properly even in the case of unknown process parameters and unpredictable actions from the external environment. The proposed algorithm generates by itself a control action, depending on the current limitations and uncertainties to fulfill the task set by the developer”, — told Igor Furtat, Head of the youth Laboratory for Adaptive and Intelligent Control of Network and Distributed Systems of the Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Science.

The laboratory staff tested the proposed methods on the experimental equipment for the study of algorithms for control of the electric power networks. It was shown that in case of a sudden change in the load in the network, disconnection or connection of the generator to the network, the developed controller guarantees that the frequency of alternating current and voltage in the network are within the limits set by the developer at any point of time.

According to the scientists, this indicates a significant increase in the reliability and stability of the electric power network in possible emergency situations as compared to the use of modern voltage and frequency controllers.