Min-max MPC using a tractable QP problem

Min-max model predictive controllers (MMMPC) suffer from a great computational burden that is often circumvented by using approximate solutions or upper bounds of the worst possible case of a performance index. This paper proposes a computationally efficient MMMPC control strategy in which a close approximation of the solution of the min-max problem is computed using a quadratic programming problem. The overall computational burden is much lower than that of the min-max problem and the resulting control is shown to have a guaranteed stability. A simulation example is given in the paper.     

SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR EVALUATING MULTI-AGENT FRAMEWORKS

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, multi-agent frameworks allow to implement very complex systems by means of agent technology. However, this complexity makes it more difficult to evaluate software and runtime characteristics of multiagent systems (MAS). Our aim is to define and study some quantitative measures to measure MAS aspects like development time, reusability, scalability, etc. These measures could be used by engineers to guide the selection among several MAS frameworks. Our study has been carried out in several MAS frameworks like JADE, JATLite, SkeletonAgent, and ZEUS, which have been used to build a MAS application for news retrieval.     

Adaptive Ray‐bundle Tracing with Memory Usage Prediction: Efficient Global Illumination in Large Scenes

This paper proposes an adaptive rendering technique for ray‐bundle tracing. Ray‐bundle tracing can be done by per‐pixel linked‐list construction on a GPU rasterization pipeline. This rasterization based approach offers significant benefits for the efficient generation of light maps (e.g., hardware acceleration, tessellation, and recycling of shaders used in real‐time graphics). However, it is inapplicable to large and complex scenes due to the limited capacity of the GPU memory because it requires a high‐resolution frame buffer and high‐capacity node buffer for the linked‐lists. In addition, memory overflow can potentially occur on the per‐pixel linked‐list since the memory usage of the lists is usually unknown before the rendering process. We introduce an adaptive tiling technique with memory usage prediction. Our method uses an appropriately tiled frame buffer, thus eliminating almost all of the overflow risks thanks to our adaptive tile subdivision scheme. Using this technique, we are able to render high‐quality light maps of large and complex scenes which cannot be computed using previous ray‐bundle based methods.     

On the Influence of the Propagation Channel in the Performance of Energy-Efficient Geographic Routing Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)

In this paper, the influence of the features of the propagation channel in the performance of energy-efficient routing algorithms for wireless sensor networks is studied. Although there are a lot of works regarding energy-efficient routing protocols, almost no reference to realistic propagation channel models and influence is made in the literature. Considering that the propagation channel may affect the efficiency of the different energy-efficient routing algorithms, different propagation scenarios are proposed in this work, from the most simplistic free-space propagation model to more complex ones. The latter includes the effects of multipath propagation, shadowing, fading, etc. In addition, spatial diversity transmission/reception models are considered to mitigate the effects of hard propagation fading. Some results are provided comparing the performance of several energy-efficient routing algorithms in different scenarios.     

Adaptative state-space model predictive control of a parabolic-trough field

Model Predictive control algorithms for trough solar plants make use of solar radiation measurements and the overall efficiency knowledge which are very useful in order to reject disturbances. However, direct solar radiation, mirror reflectivity and metal absorptance which affect overall efficiency, can only be measured locally. In this paper, an adaptative model predictive control using an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) to estimate both the effective solar radiation and the metal–fluid temperature profiles is proposed. The control algorithm is validated by tests with real data taken from the ACUREX field of the PSA in Almería (Spain).     

Automated generation of program translation and verification tools using annotated grammars

Automatically generating program translators from source and target language specifications is a non-trivial problem. In this paper we focus on the problem of automating the process of building translators between operations languages, a family of DSLs used to program satellite operations procedures. We exploit their similarities to semi-automatically build transformation tools between these DSLs. The input to our method is a collection of annotated context-free grammars. To simplify the overall translation process even more, we also propose an intermediate representation common to all operations languages. Finally, we discuss how to enrich our annotated grammars model with more advanced semantic annotations to provide a verification system for the translation process. We validate our approach by semi-automatically deriving translators between some real world operations languages, using the prototype tool which we implemented for that purpose.     

Robust tuning of dead-time compensators for processes with anintegrator and long dead-time

Presents a simple criterion for tuning a dead time compensator for plants with an integrator and long dead time. The criterion is based on the definition of a closed-loop performance and considers that the model of the process is not precisely known. Using an estimation of the dead time and velocity gain of the plant, the proposed control law has only one tuning parameter that determines the closed-loop performance and robustness. By tuning this parameter it is possible to attain some robust performance specifications. In order to compare the proposed criterion with previous algorithms proposed in the literature, a comparative analysis of robustness is presented. Some simulation examples demonstrate the good properties of the proposed compensator     

Multifoveal imager for stereo applications

A multiresolution imager based on adaptive retinal structures, with data compressions above 85%, is presented in this article. The main goal of the imager platform is to speed up image processing with the use of selective data reductions to shorten the vision systems' tasks in stereo applications. Implemented on a field‐programmable gate array, the platform can be configured as the front end of active vision systems, with use of adaptive foveal sensing on uniresolution images to cover wide fields of view, being also a development tool for multiresolution applications with different image formats and interfaces. The multifoveal imager provides the hierarchical data structures related to multiresolution levels, following instructions to control sensor parameters or to perform adaptive fovea fixations in real time, adapting its operation to the constraints of the active vision systems. It also uses intermediate resolution data to implement in hardware an efficient background extractor to cooperate with image processors in motion detection tasks and attention mechanisms. Some platform configurations are explained and experimental results are discussed in relation to the advantages of the adaptive retinal structures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 12, 149–165, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.10023     

Microstructural Evolution of HSLA ISO 3183 X80M (API 5L X80) Friction Stir Welded Joints

Evaluation was made of friction stir welded joints, identifying conditions that resulted in satisfactory welded joints free from defects and with microstructural characteristics that provided good mechanical properties. Microstructural characterization and cooling curve analysis of the joints with lower and higher heat inputs evidenced deformation below and above the non-recrystallization temperature (T_nr) and dynamic recrystallization during microstructural evolution. Microscopy analyses showed acicular ferrite, bainitic ferrite, and coalesced bainite microstructures in the stir zone of the cold weld (lower heat input), while the stir zone of the hot weld (higher heat input) contained bainitic ferrite, acicular ferrite, coalesced bainite, martensite, and dispersed carbides. Granular bainite and dispersed carbides were observed in all the heat affected zones. Analysis of the microstructural transformations, together with the thermal history of the joints, showed that the variable that had the greatest influence on the morphology of the bainite (granular bainite/bainitic ferrite) was the deformation temperature.     

Friction stir welding of duplex stainless steels

Duplex stainless steels are successful in a variety of applications such as the food industry, petrochemicals and plants for desalination of seawater, where high corrosion resistance and high mechanical strength are required. However, the beneficial microstructure may change during fusion welding steps, and it can compromise the performance of these materials. Friction stir welding is a solid-state process avoiding typical problems concerning solidification such as solidification cracks, liquation and segregation of alloying elements. Superduplex stainless steels can avoid unbalanced proportions of ferrite and austenite, formation of secondary deleterious phases and grain growth of ferrite in the heat-affected zone. Consolidated friction stir welded joints with full penetration 6 mm thick were obtained for UNS S32101 and S32205 duplex and S32750 and S32760 superduplex stainless steels. The friction stir welds were submitted to tensile tests indicating an improvement of strength in welded joints, showing increased yield and tensile strength for all studied cases. Regarding the microstructural characterization, an outstanding grain refinement was observed in the welded joint, achieving grain sizes as small as 1 μm. This refinement was associated with the combination of microstructural restoration mechanisms in the dual-phase microstructure promoted by severe deformation associated with a high temperature during the welding process.