Prescribed Performance Tracking Control of Time-Delay Nonlinear Systems With Output Constraints

The problem of prescribed performance tracking control for unknown time-delay nonlinear systems subject to output constraints is dealt with in this paper. In contrast with related works, only the most fundamental requirements, i.e., boundedness and the local Lipschitz condition, are assumed for the allowable time delays. Moreover, we focus on the case where the reference is unknown beforehand, which renders the standard prescribed performance control designs under output constraints infeasible. To conquer these challenges, a novel robust prescribed performance control approach is put forward in this paper.Herein, a reverse tuning function is skillfully constructed and automatically generates a performance envelop for the tracking error. In addition, a unified performance analysis framework based on proof by contradiction and the barrier function is established to reveal the inherent robustness of the control system against the time delays. It turns out that the system output tracks the reference with a preassigned settling time and good accuracy,without constraint violations. A comparative simulation on a two-stage chemical reactor is carried out to illustrate the above theoretical findings.

Dynamic performance and parameter optimization of a half-vehicle system coupled with an inerter-based X-structure nonlinear energy sink

Inspired by the demand of improving the riding comfort and meeting the lightweight design of the vehicle, an inerter-based X-structure nonlinear energy sink(IXNES) is proposed and applied in the half-vehicle system to enhance the dynamic performance. The X-structure is used as a mechanism to realize the nonlinear stiffness characteristic of the NES, which can realize the flexibility, adjustability, high efficiency, and easy operation of nonlinear stiffness, and is convenient to apply in the vehicle suspension, and the inerter is applied to replacing the mass of the NES based on the mass amplification characteristic. The dynamic model of the half-vehicle system coupled with the IX-NES is established with the Lagrange theory, and the harmonic balance method(HBM) and the pseudo-arc-length method(PALM) are used to obtain the dynamic response under road harmonic excitation. The corresponding dynamic performance under road harmonic and random excitation is evaluated by six performance indices, and compared with that of the original half-vehicle system to show the benefits of the IX-NES. Furthermore, the structural parameters of the IX-NES are optimized with the genetic algorithm. The results show that for road harmonic and random excitation, using the IX-NES can greatly reduce the resonance peaks and root mean square(RMS) values of the front and rear suspension deflections and the front and rear dynamic tire loads, while the resonance peaks and RMS values of the vehicle body vertical and pitching accelerations are slightly larger.When the structural parameters of the IX-NES are optimized, the vehicle body vertical and pitching accelerations of the half-vehicle system could reduce by 2.41% and 1.16%,respectively, and the other dynamic performance indices are within the reasonable ranges.Thus, the IX-NES combines the advantages of the inerter, X-structure, and NES, which improves the dynamic performance of the half-vehicle system and provides an effective option for vibration attenuation in the vehicle engineering.

Finite-time Prescribed Performance Time-Varying Formation Control for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems With Non-Strict Feedback Based on a Neural Network Observer

This paper studies the problem of time-varying formation control with finite-time prescribed performance for nonstrict feedback second-order multi-agent systems with unmeasured states and unknown nonlinearities.To eliminate nonlinearities,neural networks are applied to approximate the inherent dynamics of the system.In addition,due to the limitations of the actual working conditions,each follower agent can only obtain the locally measurable partial state information of the leader agent.To address this problem,a neural network state observer based on the leader state information is designed.Then,a finite-time prescribed performance adaptive output feedback control strategy is proposed by restricting the sliding mode surface to a prescribed region,which ensures that the closed-loop system has practical finite-time stability and that formation errors of the multi-agent systems converge to the prescribed performance bound in finite time.Finally,a numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the developed algorithm.

Seismic performance evaluation of hybrid coupled shear wall system with shear and flexural fuse-type steel coupling beams

Replaceable flexural and shear fuse-type coupling beams are used in hybrid coupled shear wall(HCSW)systems,enabling concrete buildings to be promptly recovered after severe earthquakes.This study aimed to analytically evaluate the seismic behavior of flexural and shear fuse beams situated in short-,medium-and high-rise RC buildings that have HCSWs.Three building groups hypothetically located in a high seismic hazard zone were studied.A series of 2D nonlinear time history analyses was accomplished in OpenSees,using the ground motion records scaled at the design basis earthquake level.It was found that the effectiveness of fuses in HCSWs depends on various factors such as size and scale of the building,allowable rotation value,inter-story drift ratio,residual drift quantity,energy dissipation value of the fuses,etc.The results show that shear fuses better meet the requirements of rotations and drifts.In contrast,flexural fuses dissipate more energy,but their sectional stiffness should increase to meet other requirements.It was concluded that adoption of proper fuses depends on the overall scale of the building and on how associated factors are considered.

A Systematic Literature Review on Task Allocation and Performance Management Techniques in Cloud Data Center

As cloud computing usage grows,cloud data centers play an increasingly important role.To maximize resource utilization,ensure service quality,and enhance system performance,it is crucial to allocate tasks and manage performance effectively.The purpose of this study is to provide an extensive analysis of task allocation and performance management techniques employed in cloud data centers.The aim is to systematically categorize and organize previous research by identifying the cloud computing methodologies,categories,and gaps.A literature review was conducted,which included the analysis of 463 task allocations and 480 performance management papers.The review revealed three task allocation research topics and seven performance management methods.Task allocation research areas are resource allocation,load-Balancing,and scheduling.Performance management includes monitoring and control,power and energy management,resource utilization optimization,quality of service management,fault management,virtual machine management,and network management.The study proposes new techniques to enhance cloud computing work allocation and performance management.Short-comings in each approach can guide future research.The research’s findings on cloud data center task allocation and performance management can assist academics,practitioners,and cloud service providers in optimizing their systems for dependability,cost-effectiveness,and scalability.Innovative methodologies can steer future research to fill gaps in the literature.

Generalized autoencoder-based fault detection method for traction systems with performance degradation

Fault diagnosis of traction systems is important for the safety operation of high-speed trains.Long-term operation of the trains will degrade the performance of systems,which decreases the fault detection accuracy.To solve this problem,this paper proposes a fault detection method developed by a Generalized Autoencoder(GAE)for systems with performance degradation.The advantage of this method is that it can accurately detect faults when the traction system of high-speed trains is affected by performance degradation.Regardless of the probability distribution,it can handle any data,and the GAE has extremely high sensitivity in anomaly detection.Finally,the effectiveness of this method is verified through the Traction Drive Control System(TDCS)platform.At different performance degradation levels,our method’s experimental results are superior to traditional methods.

A PID Tuning Approach for Inertial Systems Performance Optimization

In the practice of control the industrial processes, proportional-integral-derivative controller remains pivotal due to its simple structure and system performance-oriented tuning process. In this paper are presented two approaches for synthesis the proportional-integral-derivative controller to the models of objects with inertia, that offer the procedure of system performance optimization based on maximum stability degree criterion. The proposed algorithms of system performance optimization were elaborated for model of objects with inertia second and third order and offer simple analytical expressions for tuning the PID controller. Validation and verification are conducted through computer simulations using MATLAB, demonstrating successful performance optimization and showcasing the effectiveness PID controllers’ tuning. The proposed approaches contribute insights to the field of control, offering a pathway for optimizing the performance of second and third-order inertial systems through robust controller synthesis.

The Impact of Health Information Technology on Hospital Performance: A Systematic Integrative Literature Review

Objective: To review, categorise, and synthesise findings from literature on health information technology (HIT) functionalities, HIT use, and the impact of HIT on hospital performance. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic integrative literature review based on a compre-hensive database search. To organise, categorise and synthesise the ex-isting literature, we adopted the affordance actualization theory. To align the literature with our research framework, we used four categories: 1) the functionalities of HIT and how these functionalities are measured;2) use and immediate outcomes of HIT functionalities;3) different perfor-mance indicators and how HIT functionalities affect them;and 4) what hospital characteristics influence the outcome of hospital performance. Results: Fifty-two studies were included. We identified four types of HIT. Only ten studies (19.2%) define the use of HIT by explicitly meas-uring the use rate of HIT. We identified five dimensions of hospital per-formance indicators. Every dimension showed mixed results;however, in general, HIT has a positive impact on mortality and patient readmis-sions. We found several hospital characteristics that may affect the rela-tionship between HIT and hospital-level outcomes. Discussion: Further efforts should focus on embedded research on HIT functionalities, use and effects of HIT implementations with more performance indicators and adjusted for hospital characteristics. Conclusion: The proposed framework could help hospitals and researchers make decisions regard-ing the functionalities, use and effects of HIT implementation in hospi-tals. Given our research outcomes, we suggest future research opportuni-ties to improve understanding of how HIT affects hospital performance. .

Review: update on performance assessment and monitoring systems for ophthalmologists

Performance assessment and monitoring systems are the process by which ophthalmologists demonstrate they are fit to continue practicing.Revalidation is the process by which licensed doctors are legally required to demonstrate to medical regulators that they are up to date and fit to practice in order to maintain their medical license,and began in the United Kingdom(UK)in 2012 following well-publicized events.Recertification is a different process which began in North America and demonstrates doctors have maintained competence,without involvement of external stakeholders.Arguments for and against the concept of performance assessment are reviewed.Stakeholders in performance assessment,whether part of the process or not,are doctors themselves,peers and other health care providers,patients,hospitals and health systems,medical regulators,and health policy makers.Early models of performance assessment included portfolios,credit accumulation,and closed-book examinations.Models are in evolution with the value of formative rather than summative assessments,and the need for methods of assessing procedural competency increasingly recognized.Emerging methods of performance assessment of practicing ophthalmologists include use of performance indicators,simulation,and workplace-based assessments.Alternate methods of assuring the public by improved detection of outliers are discussed.Despite weak evidence supporting performance assessments in demonstrating continuing competency to practice,the process is gradually being accepted worldwide.Further research into optimum methods of performance assessment and monitoring processes is required,along with cost-benefit analysis.

Correlation Study of Operational Data and System Performance of District Cooling System with Ice Storage

The district cooling system (DCS) with ice storage can reduce the peak electricity demand of the business district buildings it serves, improve system efficiency, and lower operational costs. This study utilizes a monitoring and control platform for DCS with ice storage to analyze historical parameter values related to system operation and executed operations. We assess the distribution of cooling loads among various devices within the DCS, identify operational characteristics of the system through correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA), and subsequently determine key parameters affecting changes in cooling loads. Accurate forecasting of cooling loads is crucial for determining optimal control strategies. The research process can be summarized briefly as follows: data preprocessing, parameter analysis, parameter selection, and validation of load forecasting performance. The study reveals that while individual devices in the system perform well, there is considerable room for improving overall system efficiency. Six principal components have been identified as input parameters for the cold load forecasting model, with each of these components having eigenvalues greater than 1 and contributing to an accumulated variance of 87.26%, and during the dimensionality reduction process, we obtained a confidence ellipse with a 95% confidence interval. Regarding cooling load forecasting, the Relative Absolute Error (RAE) value of the light gradient boosting machine (lightGBM) algorithm is 3.62%, Relative Root Mean Square Error (RRMSE) is 42.75%, and R-squared value (R2) is 92.96%, indicating superior forecasting performance compared to other commonly used cooling load forecasting algorithms. This research provides valuable insights and auxiliary guidance for data analysis and optimizing operations in practical engineering applications. .

Construction Method for Performance Management Curriculum Content System Based on Knowledge Graph

Performance Management is the core course of human resource management major,but its knowledge points lack multi-dimensional correlations.There are problems such as scattered content and unclear system,and it is urgent to reconstruct the content system of the course.Knowledge graph technology can integrate massive and scattered information into an organic structure through semantic correlation and reasoning.The application of knowledge graph to education and teaching can promote scientific and personalized teaching evaluation and better realize individualized teaching.This paper systematically combs the knowledge points of Performance Management course and forms a comprehensive knowledge graph.The knowledge point is associated with specific questions to form the problem map of the course,and then the knowledge point is further associated with the ability target to form the ability map of the course.Then,the knowledge point is associated with teaching materials,question bank and expansion resources to form a systematic teaching database,thereby giving the method of building the content system of Performance Management course based on the knowledge map.This research can be further extended to other core management courses to realize the deep integration of knowledge graph and teaching.

Adaptive Uniform Performance Control of Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems With Time-Varying Control Gain

In this paper,we present a novel adaptive performance control approach for strict-feedback nonparametric systems with unknown time-varying control coefficients,which mainly includes the following steps.Firstly,by introducing several key transformation functions and selecting the initial value of the time-varying scaling function,the symmetric prescribed performance with global and semi-global properties can be handled uniformly,without the need for control re-design.Secondly,to handle the problem of unknown time-varying control coefficient with an unknown sign,we propose an enhanced Nussbaum function(ENF)bearing some unique properties and characteristics,with which the complex stability analysis based on specific Nussbaum functions as commonly used is no longer required.Thirdly,by utilizing the core-function information technique,the nonparametric uncertainties in the system are gracefully handled so that no approximator is required.Furthermore,simulation results verify the effectiveness and benefits of the approach.

Layered power scheduling optimization of PV hydrogen production system considering performance attenuation of PEMEL

To analyze the additional cost caused by the performance attenuation of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer(PEMEL)under the fluctuating input of renewable energy,this study proposes an optimization method for power scheduling in hydrogen production systems under the scenario of photovoltaic(PV)electrolysis of water.First,voltage and performance attenuation models of the PEMEL are proposed,and the degradation cost of the electrolyzer under a fluctuating input is considered.Then,the calculation of the investment and operating costs of the hydrogen production system for a typical day is based on the life cycle cost.Finally,a layered power scheduling optimization method is proposed to reasonably distribute the power of the electrolyzer and energy storage system in a hydrogen production system.In the up-layer optimization,the PV power absorbed by the hydrogen production system was optimized using MALTAB+Gurobi.In low-layer optimization,the power allocation between the PEMEL and battery energy storage system(BESS)is optimized using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm(NSGA-Ⅱ)combined with the firefly algorithm(FA).A better optimization result,characterized by lower degradation and total costs,was obtained using the method proposed in this study.The improved algorithm can search for a better population and obtain optimization results in fewer iterations.As a calculation example,data from a PV power station in northwest China were used for optimization,and the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed optimization method were verified.

Design and implementation of railway green performance basic data collection system

This study addressed the issues related to the collection and management of basic data for railway green performance. A railway green performance basic database has been constructed based on metadata and data exchange schemas. A data classification system has been established from the perspectives of businesses, processes,and entities. A BIM(Building Information Modelling) model data extraction scheme is proposed based on field similarity matching and a document content extraction scheme is proposed based on image recognition. A railway green performance basic data collection system has been developed, achieving efficient collection and integrated management of railway green performance basic data. This system can provide data support for applications such as railway carbon emissions accounting, green cost-benefit analysis, and evaluation of green design solutions.

Practical prescribed-time tracking control for uncertain strict-feedback systems with guaranteed performance under unknown control directions

In this paper,we consider the practical prescribed-time performance guaranteed tracking control problem for a class of uncertain strict-feedback systems subject to unknown control direction.Due to the existence of unknown nonlinearities and uncertainties,it is challenging to design a controller that can ensure the stability of closed-loop system within a predetermined finite time while maintaining the specified transient performance.The underlying problem becomes further complex as the control directions are unknown.To deal with the above problems,a special translation function as well as Nussbaum type function are introduced in the prescribed performance control(PPC)framework.Finally,a PPC as well as preset finite time tracking control scheme is designed,and its effectiveness is confirmed by both theoretical analysis and numerical simulation.

Effects of thinning on the understory light environment of different stands and the photosynthetic performance and growth of the reforestation species Phoebe bournei

Light levels determine regeneration in stands and a key concern is how to regulate the light environment of different stand types to the requirements of the understory.In this study,we selected three stands typical in south China(a Cryptomeria japonica plantation,a Quercus acutissima plantation,and a mixed stand of both)and three thinning intensities to determine the best understory light environ-ment for 3-year-old Phoebe bournei seedlings.The canopy structure,understory light environment,and photosynthe-sis and growth indicators were assessed following thin-ning.Thinning improved canopy structure and understory light availability of each stand;species composition was the reason for differences in the understory light environ-ment.Under the same thinning intensity,the mixed stand had the greatest light radiation and most balanced spectral composition.P.bournei photosynthesis and growth were closely related to the light environment;all three stands required heavy thinning to create an effective and sustained understory light environment.In a suitable understory light environment,the efficiency of light interception,absorption,and use by seedlings was enhanced,resulting in a higher carbon assimilation the main limiting factor was stomatal conductance.As a shade-avoidance signal,red/far-red radia-tion is a critical factor driving changes in photosynthesis and growth of P.bournei seedlings,and a reduction increased light absorption and use capacity and height:diameter ratios.The growth advantage transformed from diameter to height,enabling seedlings to access more light.Our findings suggest that the regeneration of shade-tolerant species such as P.bournei could be enhanced if a targeted approach to thinning based on stand type was adopted.

Assessment of Dependent Performance Shaping Factors in SPAR-H Based on Pearson Correlation Coefficient

With the improvement of equipment reliability,human factors have become the most uncertain part in the system.The standardized Plant Analysis of Risk-Human Reliability Analysis(SPAR-H)method is a reliable method in the field of human reliability analysis(HRA)to evaluate human reliability and assess risk in large complex systems.However,the classical SPAR-H method does not consider the dependencies among performance shaping factors(PSFs),whichmay cause overestimation or underestimation of the risk of the actual situation.To address this issue,this paper proposes a new method to deal with the dependencies among PSFs in SPAR-H based on the Pearson correlation coefficient.First,the dependence between every two PSFs is measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient.Second,the weights of the PSFs are obtained by considering the total dependence degree.Finally,PSFs’multipliers are modified based on the weights of corresponding PSFs,and then used in the calculating of human error probability(HEP).A case study is used to illustrate the procedure and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Projecting Wintertime Newly Formed Arctic Sea Ice through Weighting CMIP6 Model Performance and Independence

Precipitous Arctic sea-ice decline and the corresponding increase in Arctic open-water areas in summer months give more space for sea-ice growth in the subsequent cold seasons. Compared to the decline of the entire Arctic multiyear sea ice,changes in newly formed sea ice indicate more thermodynamic and dynamic information on Arctic atmosphere–ocean–ice interaction and northern mid–high latitude atmospheric teleconnections. Here, we use a large multimodel ensemble from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project(CMIP6) to investigate future changes in wintertime newly formed Arctic sea ice. The commonly used model-democracy approach that gives equal weight to each model essentially assumes that all models are independent and equally plausible, which contradicts with the fact that there are large interdependencies in the ensemble and discrepancies in models' performances in reproducing observations. Therefore, instead of using the arithmetic mean of well-performing models or all available models for projections like in previous studies, we employ a newly developed model weighting scheme that weights all models in the ensemble with consideration of their performance and independence to provide more reliable projections. Model democracy leads to evident bias and large intermodel spread in CMIP6 projections of newly formed Arctic sea ice. However, we show that both the bias and the intermodel spread can be effectively reduced by the weighting scheme. Projections from the weighted models indicate that wintertime newly formed Arctic sea ice is likely to increase dramatically until the middle of this century regardless of the emissions scenario.Thereafter, it may decrease(or remain stable) if the Arctic warming crosses a threshold(or is extensively constrained).

Performance Analysis of the Packet-Based PNT Service in NGSO Broadband Satellite Communication Systems

Providing alternative PNT service to GNSS-challenged users will be an important function of next-generation NGSO broadband satellite communication systems.Herein,a packet-based PNT service architecture in NGSO broadband systems is proposed in which a primary satellite and selected assistant satellites work together to provide PNT service to requesting users.Its positioning performance bounds are mathematically formulated by rigorously analyzing the bounds constrained by different waveforms.Simulations are conducted on different configurations of Walker Delta MEO constellations and Walker Star LEO constellations for corroboration,revealing the following:(1)Both MEO and LEO constellations achieve sub-meter-level positioning precision given enough satellites.(2)Compared to the GNSS Doppler-based velocity estimation method,the position advance based velocity estimation algorithm is more precise and applicable to the PNT service in NGSO broadband systems.(3)To provide PNT service to users in GNSS-challenged environments,the primary and each assistant satellite need only∼0.1‰of the time of one downlink beam.