Flexible predictive power-split control for battery-supercapacitor systems of electric vehicles using IVHS

The utilization of traffic information received from intelligent vehicle highway systems(IVHS) to plan velocity and split output power for multi-source vehicles is currently a research hotspot. However, it is an open issue to plan vehicle velocity and distribute output power between different supply units simultaneously due to the strongly coupling characteristic of the velocity planning and the power distribution. To address this issue, a flexible predictive power-split control strategy based on IVHS is proposed for electric vehicles(EVs) equipped with battery-supercapacitor system(BSS). Unlike hierarchical strategies to plan vehicle velocity and distribute output power separately, a monolayer model predictive control(MPC) method is employed to optimize them online at the same time. Firstly, a flexible velocity planning strategy is designed based on the signal phase and time(SPAT) information received from IVHS and then the Pontryagin’s minimum principle(PMP) is adopted to formulate the optimal control problem of the BSS. Then, the flexible velocity planning strategy and the optimal control problem of BSS are embedded into an MPC framework, which is online solved using the shooting method in a fashion of receding horizon. Simulation results verify that the proposed strategy achieves a superior performance compared with the hierarchical strategy in terms of transportation efficiency, battery capacity loss, energy consumption and computation time.

Optimal Control and Bifurcation Issues for Lorenz-Rössler Model

Optimal control is one of the most popular decision-making tools recently in many researches and in many areas. The Lorenz-Rössler model is one of the interesting models because of the idea of consolidation of the two models: Lorenz and össler. This paper discusses the Lorenz-Rössler model from the bifurcation phenomena and the optimal control problem (OCP). The bifurcation property at the system equilibrium is studied and it is found that saddle-node and Hopf bifurcations can be holed under some conditions on the parameters. Also, the problem of the optimal control of Lorenz-Rössler model is discussed and it uses the Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle (PMP) to derive the optimal control inputs that achieve the optimal trajectory. Numerical examples and solutions for bifurcation cases and the optimal controlled system are carried out and shown graphically to show the effectiveness of the used procedure.

Global Optimization for Solving Linear Non-Quadratic Optimal Control Problems

This paper presents a global optimization approach to solving linear non-quadratic optimal control problems. The main work is to construct a differential flow for finding a global minimizer of the Hamiltonian function over a Euclid space. With the Pontryagin principle, the optimal control is characterized by a function of the adjoint variable and is obtained by solving a Hamiltonian differential boundary value problem. For computing an optimal control, an algorithm for numerical practice is given with the description of an example.

Analysis of Listeriosis Transmission Dynamics with Optimal Control

Listeriosis is an illness caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes. Generally, humans are infected with listeriosis after eating contaminated food. Listeriosis mostly affects people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns. In this paper, a model describing the dynamics of Listeriosis is developed and analysed using ordinary differential equations. The model was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively for its local and global stability, basic reproductive number and parameter contributions to the basic reproductive number to understand the impact of each parameter on the disease spread. The Listeriosis model has been extended to include time dependent control variables such as treatment of both humans and animals, vaccination and education of humans. Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle was introduced to obtain the best optimal control strategies required for curbing Listeriosis infections. Numerical simulation was performed and the results displayed graphically and discussed. Cost effectiveness analysis was conducted using the intervention averted ratio (IAR) concepts and it was revealed that the most effective intervention strategy is the treatment of infected humans and animals.

Mathematical Analysis of Nipah Virus Infections Using Optimal Control Theory

The optimal use of intervention strategies to mitigate the spread of Nipah Virus (NiV) using optimal control technique is studied in this paper. First of all we formulate a dynamic model of NiV infections with variable size population and two control strategies where creating awareness and treatment are considered as controls. We intend to find the optimal combination of these two control strategies that will minimize the cost of the two control measures and as a result the number of infectious individuals will decrease. We establish the existence for the optimal controls and Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to characterize the optimal controls. The numerical simulation suggests that optimal control technique is much more effective to minimize the infected individuals and the corresponding cost of the two controls. It is also monitored that in the case of high contact rate, controls have to work for longer period of time to get the desired result. Numerical simulation reveals that the spread of Nipah virus can be controlled effectively if we apply control strategy at early stage.

Nearly time-optimal paths for a ground vehicle

It is well known that the sufficient family of time-optimal paths for both Dubins' as well as Reeds-Shepp' s car models consist of the concatenation of circular arcs with maximum curvature and straight line segments, all tangentially connected. These time-optimal solutions suffer from some drawbacks. Their discontinuous curvature profile, together with the wear and impairment on the control equipment that the bang-bang solutions induce, calls for ' smoother' and more supple reference paths to follow. Avoiding the bang-bang solutions also raises the robustness with respect to any possible uncertainties. In this paper, our main tool for generating these “nearly time-optimal” , but nevertheless continuous-curvature paths, is to use the Pontryagin Maximum Principle (PMP) and make an appropriate and cunning choice of the Lagrangian function. Despite some rewarding simulation results, this concept turns out to be numerically divergent at some instances. Upon a more careful investigation, it can be concluded that the problem at hand is nearly singular. This is seen by applying the PMP to Dubins car and studying the corresponding two point boundary value problem, which turn out to be singular. Realizing this, one is able to contradict the widespread belief that all the information about the motion of a mobile platform lies in the initial values of the auxiliary variables associated with the PMP. Keywords Time-optimal paths - Motion planning - Optimal control - Pontryagin maximum principle - UGV

Dynamical Model to Optimize Student’s Academic Performance

Excellent student’s academic performance is the uppermost priority and goal of educators and facilitators.The dubious marginal rate between admission and graduation rates unveils the rates of dropout and withdrawal from school.To improve the academic performance of students,we optimize the performance indices to the dynamics describing the academic performance in the form of nonlinear system ODE.We established the uniform boundedness of the model and the existence and uniqueness result.The independence and interdependence equilibria were found to be locally and globally asymptotically stable.The optimal control analysis was carried out,and lastly,numerical simulation was run to visualize the impact of the performance index in optimizing academic performance.

PERIODIC OPTIMAL CONTROL PROBLEMS GOVERNED BY SEMILINEAR PARABOLIC EQUATIONS WITH IMPULSE CONTROL

This paper is concerned with periodic optimal control problems governed by semi- linear parabolic differential equations with impulse control. Pontryagin＇s maximum principle is derived. The proofs rely on a unique continuation estimate at one time for a linear parabolic equation.

Optimal Control of Heterogeneous-Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered-Susceptible Malware Propagation Model in Heterogeneous Degree-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks(HWSNs)are vulnerable to malware propagation,because of their low configuration and weak defense mechanism.Therefore,an optimality system for HWSNs is developed to suppress malware propagation in this paper.Firstly,a heterogeneous-susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-susceptible(HSEIRS)model is proposed to describe the state dynamics of heterogeneous sensor nodes(HSNs)in HWSNs.Secondly,the existence of an optimal control problem with installing antivirus on HSNs to minimize the sum of the cumulative infection probabilities of HWSNs at a low cost based on the HSEIRS model is proved,and then an optimal control strategy for the problem is derived by the optimal control theory.Thirdly,the optimal control strategy based on the HSEIRS model is transformed into corresponding Hamiltonian by the Pontryagin’s minimum principle,and the corresponding optimality system is derived.Finally,the effectiveness of the optimality system is validated by the experimental simulations,and the results show that the infectious HSNs will fall to an extremely low level at a low cost.

Optimal Control Analysis of Influenza Epidemic Model

The implementation of optimal control strategies involving preventive measures and antiviral treatment can significantly reduce the number of clinical cases of influenza. In this paper, a model for the transmission dynamics of influenza is formulated and two control strategies involving preventive measures (awareness campaign, washing hand, using hand sanitizer, wearing mask) and treatment are considered and used to minimize the total number of infected individuals and associated cost of using these two controls. The resulting optimality system is solved numerically. Hamiltonian is formulated to investigate the existence of the optimal control, in the optimal control model. Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle is applied to describe the control variables and the objective function is designed to reduce both the infection and the cost of interventions. From the numerical simulation, it is observed that in the case of high contact rate (β = 3), both the controls work for a longer period of time to reduce the disease burden. The optimal control analysis and numerical simulations reveal that the interventions reduce the number of exposed and infected individuals.

Motoyosi Sugita—A “Widely Unknown” Japanese Thermodynamicist Who Explored the 4th Law of Thermodynamics for Creation of the Theory of Life

The purpose of this paper is to introduce to you, the Western people, nowadays a “widely unknown” Japanese thermodynamicist by the name of Motoyosi Sugita and his study on the thermodynamics of transient phenomena and his theory of life. This is because although he was one of the top theoretical physicists in Japan before, during and after WWII and after WWII he promoted the establishment of the biophysical society of Japan as one of the founding members, he himself and his studies themselves have seemed to be totally forgotten nowadays in spite that his study was absolutely important for the study of life. Therefore, in this paper I would like to present what kind of person he was and what he studied in physics as a review on the physics work of Motoyosi Sugita for the first time. I will follow his past studies to introduce his ideas in theoretical physics as well as in biophysics as follows: He proposed the bright ideas such as the quasi-static change in the broad sense, the virtual heat, and the field of chemical potential etc. in order to establish his own theory of thermodynamics of transient phenomena, as the generalization of the Onsager-Prigogine’s theory of the irreversible processes. By the concept of the field of chemical potential that acquired the nonlinear transport, he was seemingly successful to exceed and go beyond the scope of Onsager and Prigogine. Once he established his thermodynamics, he explored the existence of the 4th law of thermodynamics for the foundation of theory of life. He applied it to broad categories of transient phenomena including life and life being such as the theory of metabolism. He regarded the 4th law of thermodynamics as the maximum principle in transient phenomena. He tried to prove it all life long. Since I have recently found that his maximum principle can be included in more general maximum principle, which was known as the Pontryagin’s maximum principle in the theory of optimal control, I would like to explain such theories produced by Motoyosi Sugita as detailed as possible. And also I have put short history of Motoyosi Sugita’s personal life in order for you to know him well. I hope that this article helps you to know this wonderful man and understand what he did in the past, which was totally forgotten in the world and even in Japan.

Solving infinite horizon nonlinear optimal control problems using an extended modal series method

This paper presents a new approach for solving a class of infinite horizon nonlinear optimal control problems (OCPs).In this approach,a nonlinear two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP),derived from Pontryagin's maximum principle,is transformed into a sequence of linear time-invariant TPBVPs.Solving the latter problems in a recursive manner provides the optimal control law and the optimal trajectory in the form of uniformly convergent series.Hence,to obtain the optimal solution,only the techniques for solving linear ordinary differential equations are employed.An efficient algorithm is also presented,which has low computational complexity and a fast convergence rate.Just a few iterations are required to find an accurate enough suboptimal trajectory-control pair for the nonlinear OCP.The results not only demonstrate the efficiency,simplicity,and high accuracy of the suggested approach,but also indicate its effectiveness in practical use.

Time-optimal control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with human control input

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to investigate time-optimal control problems for multiple unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)systems to achieve predefined flying shape.Design/methodology/approach–Two time-optimal protocols are proposed for the situations with or without human control input,respectively.Then,Pontryagin’s minimum principle approach is applied to deal with the time-optimal control problems for UAV systems,where the cost function,the initial and terminal conditions are given in advance.Moreover,necessary conditions are derived to ensure that the given performance index is optimal.Findings–The effectiveness of the obtained time-optimal control protocols is verified by two contrastive numerical simulation examples.Consequently,the proposed protocolscan successfully achieve the prescribed flying shape.Originality/value–This paper proposes a solution to solve the time-optimal control problems for multiple UAV systems to achieve predefined flying shape.