Analysis of distributed consensus protocols with multi-equilibria under time-delays

In this paper, we propose a novel method for addressing the multi-equilibria consensus problem for a network of n agents with dynamics evolving in discrete-time. In this method, we introduce, for the first time in the literature, two concepts called primary and secondary layer subgraphs. Then, we present our main results on directed graphs such that multiple consensus equilibria states are achieved, thereby extending the existing single-state consensus convergence results in the literature. Furthermore, we propose an algorithm to determine the number of equilibria for any given directed graph automatically by a computer program. We also analyze the convergence properties of multi-equilibria consensus in directed networks with time-delays under the assumption that all delays are bounded. We show that introducing communication time-delays does not affect the number of equilibria of the given network. Finally, we verify our theoretical results via numerical examples.     

Consensus of discrete-time second-order agents with time-varying topology and time-varying delays

This paper studies the consensus problem of multiple agents with discrete-time second-order dynamics. It is assumed that the information obtained by each agent is with time-varying delays and the interaction topology is time-varying, where the associated direct graphs may not have spanning trees. Under the condition that the union graph is strongly connected and balanced, it is shown that there exist controller gains such that consensus can be reached for any bounded time-delays. Moreover, a method is provided to design controller gains. Simulations are performed to validate the theoretical results.     

A new approach to global stabilization of high-order time-delay uncertain nonlinear systems via time-varying feedback and homogeneous domination

This paper addresses the state-feedback stabilization problem for a class of high-order uncertain nonlinear systems with multiple time-delays. The distinguished feature of the systems to be investigated is the serious coexistence between unknown time-varying parameters and unknown multiple time-delays. Time-varying method combined with adaptive technique is used to capture the possible unknowns and delayed states. The new control strategy is presented based on homogeneous domination idea and the choice of a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. Finally, the developed scheme is used to stabilize mass-spring mechanical system with unknown time-delays.     

Iterative identification for multiple-input systems with time-delays based on greedy pursuit and auxiliary model

This paper focuses on the identification of multiple-input single-output output-error systems with unknown time-delays. Since the time-delays are unknown, an identification model with a high dimensional and sparse parameter vector is derived based on overparameterization. Traditional identification methods cannot get sparse solutions and require a large number of observations unless the time-delays are predetermined. Inspired by the sparse optimization and the greedy algorithms, an auxiliary model based orthogonal matching pursuit iterative (AM-OMPI) algorithm is proposed by using the orthogonal matching pursuit, and then based on the gradient search, an auxiliary model based gradient pursuit iterative algorithm is proposed, which is computationally more efficient than the AM-OMPI algorithm. The proposed methods can simultaneously estimate the parameters and time-delays from a small number of sampled data. A simulation example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.     

Distributed formation control of double-integrator fractional-order multi-agent systems with relative damping and nonuniform time-delays

In this paper, distributed formation control problems are studied for double-integrator fractional-order multi-agent systems (DIFOMASs) with relative damping and nonuniform time-delays. The required state deviations of a group of multi-agent systems are achieved through a local state information interaction, which means that this group of multi-agent systems achieves formation control. In the context of this paper, the dynamic model is first established and the formation control protocol is designed for distributed formation control of DIFOMASs with relative damping under symmetric time-delays and asymmetric time-delays. Then, some sufficient conditions for achieving distributed formation control of DIFOMASs are acquired with the help of graph theory, matrix theory, stability theory and frequency-domain theory. In the end, two simulation examples are performed to verify the efficacy of our proposed method.     

Functional observer based controller for stabilizing Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems with time-delays

This paper investigates the construction of a fuzzy functional observer for nonlinear systems with time-delays, and the application of the observer to estimate the state functions of the parallel distributed compensation controller for stabilizing the system. Two types of time-delays are considered: constant and time-varying delays with bounded time derivative. Stability conditions are obtained using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional approach; and the conditions are transformed into linear matrix inequalities with equality constraints so that observer parameters can be calculated using the solution of these inequalities. Functional observer construction procedures are presented considering both constant and time-varying time-delays. Two examples, including one for obtaining a power system stabilizer for a single machine infinite bus system, are presented to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed design procedures.     

An adaptive controller for nonlinear teleoperators with variable time-delays

In most real-life bilateral teleoperators the available physical parameters are uncertain and the communications exhibit variable time-delays. In order to confront these situations and only assuming that a bound of the time-delays is known, the present work reports an adaptive controller which ensures asymptotic convergence of both position errors and velocities to zero, provided that a sufficient condition on the control gains is met. Compared to previous related works that only treated constant time-delays, the stability analysis does not rely on the cascade interconnection structure of the local and remote nonlinear dynamics and the linear interconnection map. Instead, the paper employs a different Lyapunov candidate function that incorporates a strictly positive term, the local and remote position error. Some simulations, in free space and interacting with a rigid wall, and experiments, using two nonlinear manipulators, illustrate the performance of the proposed control scheme in the presence of uncertain parameters and variable time-delays.     

Stability analysis for systems with multiple/single time delays via a Cascade augmented L-K functional

This paper investigates stability of linear systems with multiple/single time-delays. Firstly, a three-level cascade augmented Lyapunov-Krasovskii (L-K) functional is introduced, in which interconnect information among delayed state vectors is fully taken into account. Based on a newly integral inequality and the cascade L-K functional, a novel stability criterion is derived for linear systems with multiple time-delays. Secondly, it is found that the proposed L-K functional is also suitable for linear systems with single time-delay if the delay-partitioning method is employed. This motivates us to obtain a less conservative stability condition for linear systems with single time-delay. Finally, Numerical examples are given to confirm the advantages of the proposed method.     

Global stabilization of linear systems subject to input saturation and time delays

This note is concerned with global stabilization of linear systems subject to input saturation and time delays. Based on the Luenberger canonical form, two new decoupling methods are proposed. For the decoupled system, according to some special canonical forms, we propose two control laws for systems with input time-delays and systems with input saturation and time-delays, and give explicit conditions to ensure the global stability of the closed-loop system. Two special canonical forms contain time delays in input and state vectors, which is essential in recursive design. In addition, for the system subject to input saturation and time-delay, we introduce some free parameters when designing the controller, which can improve the instantaneous performance of the closed-loop system. Finally, the proposed approach is applied on the multi-agent system to design global stabilizing controllers and the effectiveness of the proposed controllers are illustrated by numerical simulations.     

Distributed rotating formation control of second-order leader-following multi-agent systems with nonuniform delays

In this paper, the leader-following rotating formation control problem is investigated for second-order multi-agent systems with nonuniform time-delays. We propose a distributed algorithm to drive all agents to achieve a desired formation and orbit around a common point. By a frequency domain analysis method, the upper bound of the maximum time-delay is obtained. Finally, a numerical simulation is given to illustrate the obtained results.     

Robust H∞ control for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with mixed time-delays

This paper is concerned with the robust H_∞ control problem for a general class of uncertain nonlinear systems with mixed time-delays. The mixed time-delays consist of both discrete and distributed delays. We aim to design a memoryless state feedback controller such that the closed-loop system is robustly stable for all admissible uncertainties with guaranteed H_∞ disturbance rejection attenuation level. By introducing a new Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional that reflects the mixed delays, sufficient conditions are established for the closed-loop system ensuring the robust stability as well as the H_∞ performance requirement. The controller design is facilitated in terms of the solvability of a Hamilton–Jacobi inequality. Two numerical examples are utilized to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

State space model identification of multirate processes with time-delay using the expectation maximization

This paper presents the problems of state space model identification of multirate processes with unknown time delay. The aim is to identify a multirate state space model to approximate the parameter-varying time-delay system. The identification problems are formulated under the framework of the expectation maximization algorithm. Through introducing two hidden variables, a new expectation maximization algorithm is derived to estimate the unknown model parameters and the time-delays simultaneously. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated by a simulation example.     

Stochastic stability analysis of piecewise homogeneous Markovian jump neural networks with mixed time-delays

In this paper, the problem of stochastic stability analysis is considered for piecewise homogeneous Markovian jump neural networks with both discrete and distributed delays by use of linear matrix inequality (LMI) method. Based on a Lyapunov functional that accounts for the mixed time-delays, a delay-dependent stability condition is given, which is formulated by LMIs and thus can be easily checked. Some special cases are also investigated. Finally, a numerical example is given to show the validness of the proposed result.     

PID controller tuning rules for integrating processes with varying time-delays

This paper discusses PID controller tuning for integrating processes with varying time-delays. Most of the existing tuning rules for the first-order lag plus integrator plus delay (FOLIPD) processes that we mainly focus on have the same general structure, and the properties of these rules are discussed in conjunction with varying time-delays. The analysis leads to novel tuning rules, where the maximum amplitude of an arbitrarily varying time-delay can be given as a parameter, which makes the use of the rules attractive in several applications. We will also extend the analysis to integrating processes with second-order lag and apply the design guidelines for a networked control application. In addition, we propose a novel tuning method that optimizes the closed-loop performance with respect to certain robustness constraints while also providing robustness to delay variance via jitter margin maximization. Further, we develop new PID controller tuning rules for a wide range of processes based on the proposed method. The new tuning rules are discussed in detail and compared with some of the recently published results. The work was originally motivated by the need for robust but simultaneously well-performing PID parameters in an agricultural machine case process. We also demonstrate the superiority of the proposed tuning rules in the case process.     

RHONN identifier-control scheme for nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown time-delays

This work presents a neural identifier-control scheme for uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown time-delays. This scheme is based on a neural identifier to get a model of the system and a discrete-time block control technique based on sliding modes to generate the control law. The neural identifier is based on a Recurrent High Order Neural Network (RHONN) trained with an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based algorithm. Applicability is shown using real-time test results for linear induction motors. Also, a Lyapunov analysis is added in order to prove the semi-globally uniformly ultimately boundedness (SGUUB) of the proposed neural identifier-control scheme.     

Finite frequency range robust iterative learning control of linear discrete system with multiple time-delays

This paper uses repetitive process stability theory to design robust iterative learning control law for linear discrete systems with multiple time-delays and polytopic uncertainty. Both dynamic and static forms of the control law are considered and used when designing robust iterative learning control schemes. Also, based on the generalized Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov Lemma, the proposed design procedures a required frequency attenuation over a finite frequency range and the monotonic trial-to-trial error convergence. Moreover, linear matrix inequality techniques are applied to formulate the convergence conditions and to obtain formulas for the control law designs. Finally, an illustrative numerical simulation example is given and concludes the paper.     

Mode-dependent stochastic synchronization criteria for Markovian hybrid neural networks with random coupling strengths

This paper is concerned with the stochastic synchronization problem for a class of Markovian hybrid neural networks with random coupling strengths and mode-dependent mixed time-delays in the mean square. First, a novel inequality is established which is a double integral form of the Wirtinger-based integral inequality. Next, by employing a novel augmented Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) with several mode-dependent matrices, applying the theory of Kronecker product of matrices, Barbalat’s Lemma and the auxiliary function-based integral inequalities, several novel delay-dependent conditions are established to achieve the globally stochastic synchronization for the mode-dependent Markovian hybrid coupled neural networks. Finally, a numerical example with simulation is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented criteria.     

Improved exponential stability analysis for delayed recurrent neural networks

In this paper, we investigate the problem of global exponential stability analysis for a class of delayed recurrent neural networks. This class includes Hopfield neural networks and cellular neural networks with interval time-delays. Improved exponential stability condition is derived by employing new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and the integral inequality. The developed stability criteria are delay dependent and characterized by linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The developed results are less conservative than previous published ones in the literature, which are illustrated by representative numerical examples.     

Finite-time stochastic boundedness for Markovian jumping systems via the sliding mode control

The finite-time stochastic boundedness (FTSB) via the sliding mode control (SMC) approach is analyzed for Markovian jumping systems (MJSs) with time-delays. First, an integral switching surface is constructed. And to make sure the reachability of the sliding mode surface in a finite-time, an SMC law is designed. In addition, the delay-dependent criteria for FTSB are obtained over the reaching phase and the sliding motion phase. Furthermore, in line with linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), sufficient conditions are provided to guarantee the FTSB of systems over the whole finite-time interval. Lastly, an example is given to indicate the validity of the proposed approach.