MPC Post-Processing for Constraint-Safe Control Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Predictive control methods (MPC) often fail to adhere to system constraints due to calculation time limitations, leading to potential system failures or accidents, and shutting down the system to mitigate these issues results in reduced availability.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize a post-processing function to evaluate the reliability of MPC-generated controls, incorporating safety criteria and constraints to generate a safety control, ensuring the system reaches target states safely and efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system shuts down as soon as a gap between MPC output and constraints is detected, then system safety is improved, but system availability deteriorates due to significant number of shutdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing post-processing of MPC output data before the system executes controls. A post-processor evaluates whether MPC-generated control sequences will violate constraints and adjusts them in advance, preventing safety issues before they occur while avoiding unnecessary shutdowns. This resolves the contradiction by proactively ensuring safety without triggering excessive system shutdowns that would reduce availability.
2Loss of time
If the MPC calculation time is reduced to meet real-time constraints, then responsiveness is improved, but constraint satisfaction deteriorates due to significant gaps in output data quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a post-processor as an intermediary component between the MPC and the system actuators. This post-processor receives MPC output data, evaluates it for constraint compliance, and generates corrected control sequences if violations are detected. This intermediary layer allows the MPC to operate with reduced calculation time while the post-processor ensures constraint satisfaction, resolving the contradiction between responsiveness and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Method for monitoring a target system including the steps of obtaining input data relating to at least one current state of the target system, obtaining at least one functioning constraint of the target system, calculating, by a predictive control, an envisaged sequence of controls for monitoring the target system, from the input data, at least one target state of the target system, and the constraint; calculating, by a function readable by electronic equipment, a reliability value of the envisaged sequence of monitoring controls, according to at least one safety criterion, from the envisaged sequence of monitoring controls, and the constraint; generating, from the reliability value and a safety policy, at least one safety control; generating a monitoring control from the envisaged sequence of monitoring controls and the safety control, and applying this monitoring control to the target system.