Distributed Control Allocation for Reconfigurable Multi-Unit Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional control allocators for multi-unit vehicle combinations are tailored to specific configurations and require re-development when the configuration changes, lacking flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A distributed control allocation method involving a master control allocator and slave control allocators, dividing the control allocation into vehicle combination-specific and unit-specific levels, allowing the master control allocator to remain generic and adaptable to configuration changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional control allocator is tailored to a specific vehicle combination configuration, then it can provide precise control for that configuration, but it requires re-development when the configuration changes
Solution Approach 1:
The control allocator is divided into a master control allocator that handles high-level control decisions and multiple slave control allocators that handle unit-specific control. This segmentation allows the master allocator to remain configuration-agnostic while slave allocators adapt to specific units, resolving the contradiction between precise control and configuration adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The master control allocator is designed with universal functionality to work with any vehicle combination configuration without re-development. It provides configuration-agnostic control allocation that can adapt to different numbers and types of vehicle units through standardized interfaces, eliminating the need for re-development while maintaining control precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the vehicle combination becomes over-actuated with more controllable degrees of freedom than desired forces and moments, then more precise control is possible, but the control problem becomes underdetermined with multiple possible solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The control allocation problem is segmented into two levels: the master control allocator handles the underdetermined problem of distributing forces among vehicle units, while slave control allocators handle the actuator-level distribution within each unit. This segmentation reduces control complexity while maintaining precision by breaking down the large underdetermined system into smaller manageable sub-problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control architecture introduces a hierarchical dimension, separating control allocation into vehicle combination level (master allocator) and vehicle unit level (slave allocators). This dimensional separation transforms the complex underdetermined problem into a two-stage process, reducing overall control complexity while preserving the ability to utilize all available degrees of freedom for precise control.
3Reliability
If a control allocator directly controls actuators in all vehicle units, then comprehensive control is achieved, but the system becomes complex and requires re-development for configuration changes
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into a master control allocator that communicates with vehicle units and slave control allocators that directly control actuators. This segmentation reduces system complexity by distributing control functions while maintaining reliable comprehensive control through standardized communication interfaces between master and slave allocators.
Solution Approach 2:
Slave control allocators act as intermediaries between the master control allocator and the actuators. This intermediary layer simplifies the master allocator's task by handling actuator-specific details locally, reducing overall system complexity while ensuring reliable control through distributed intelligence at the actuator level.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4A
Figure 4B
AI summary
A method (400) of distributed control allocation in a vehicle combination including multiple vehicle units (310-i) is provided, in which a master control allocator (420) solves a combination-specific control allocation problem to perform control allocation on a combination level, and each of a plurality of slave control allocators (430-i) receives unit-specific virtual control inputs (vi) from the master control allocator and then performs control allocation on vehicle unit level to control actuators (312-i) of an associated vehicle unit (310-i). A method performed in a master control allocator, a method performed in a slave control allocator, a distributed control allocation system, a master control allocator, a slave control allocator, a vehicle combination, a vehicle unit, and computer programs and computer program products are also provided.