Method for analysis of control systems
AssigneeThe MathWorks, Inc.
InventorsJohn Glass, Pascal Gahinet
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Abstract
The present invention provides a framework to let users systematically analyze, and design controllers for, complex non-linear dynamic systems modeled in a block diagram environment. By extracting linearized models from non-linear plant models (block diagrams), users can use one or more control design and tuning methodologies available for linear systems. Complex side effects, such as cross-coupling and exogenous disturbances, are viewable and can be dealt with in real-time during a design. The results of a design are automatically implemented in a block diagram.
Claims51
A computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions that when executed on one or more processors in an electronic device provide a design tool for control design, the medium holding:
- one or more instructions for using said design tool to provide a graphical view of a non-linear block diagram model that includes a control system, said control system including a plurality of controllers for controlling an operation of a physical plant, said plurality of controllers including one or more blocks;
- one or more instructions for:
- receiving a selection, with said design tool, of at least two of said plurality of controllers that control the operation of the physical plant;
- one or more instructions for:
- programmatically extracting, with said design tool, a linear model from said non-linear block diagram model, said linear model modeling said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers that control the operation of the physical plant;
- one or more instructions for tuning said linear model to produce a tuned linear model, said tuning causing said linear model to satisfy a performance constraint or a design specification;
- one or more instructions for displaying at least one characteristic of said tuned linear model on a display device;
- and
- one or more instructions for updating said non-linear block diagram model by updating said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers of said non-linear block diagram model with said tuned linear model, the updating comprising programmatically updating an operating point used to linearize said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers.
In a computer, a computer-implemented method of extracting a linear model from a non-linear block diagram model that includes a control system, said linear model extracted via a design tool, said control system including a plurality of controllers for controlling an operation of a physical plant, said plurality of controllers including one or more blocks, said linear model displayed in a graphical view, said method comprising:
- selecting with said design tool, at least two of said plurality of controllers that control the operation of the physical plant;
- programmatically extracting, with said design tool on said computer, a linear model from said non-linear block diagram model, said linear model modeling said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers that control the operation of the physical plant;
- and
- tuning said linear model using said computer to produce a tuned linear model, said tuning causing said linear model to satisfy at least one performance constraint or design specification;
- displaying at least one characteristic of said tuned linear model on a display device;
- and
- updating said non-linear block diagram model by updating said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers of said non-linear block diagram model with said tuned linear model, the updating comprising programmatically updating an operating point used to linearize said selected at least two of said plurality of controllers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.