Adaptive neural network control of nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics

In this study, an adaptive neural network control approach is proposed to achieve accurate and robust control of nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics, wherein the neural network is innovatively used to learn the inverse problem of system dynamics with guaranteed convergence. This study focuses on the following three contributions. First, the considered system is transformed into a multi-integrator system using an input–output linearization technique, and an extended state observation technique is used to identify the transformed states. Second, an iterative control learning algorithm is proposed to achieve the neural network training, and stability analysis is given to prove that the network’s predictions converge to ideal control inputs with guaranteed convergence. Third, an adaptive neural network controller is developed by combining the trained network and a proportional-integral controller, and the long-standing challenge of model-based methods for control determination of unknown dynamics is resolved. Simulation results of a virtual control mission and an aerospace altitude tracking mission are provided to substantiate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques and illustrate the adaptability and robustness of the proposed controller.     

Modeling and control of a novel electro-hydrostatic actuator with adaptive pump displacement

The variable pump displacement and variable motor speed electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA), one of the three types of EHAs, has advantages such as short response time, flexible speed regulation, and high efficiency. However, the nonlinearity of its double-input single-output system poses a great challenge for system control. This study proposes a novel EHA with adaptive pump displacement and variable motor speed (EHA-APVM). A closed-loop position is realized using a servomotor. Moreover, the displacement varies with the system pressure; thus, the EHA-APVM is a single-input and single-output system. Firstly, the working principles of the EHA-APVM and the pump used in the system are introduced. Secondly, a nonlinear mathematical model of the proposed EHA-APVM control system is established, and a feedback back-stepping (FBBS) control algorithm is introduced to transform the complex nonlinear system into a linear system on the basis of the back-stepping control theory. Finally, simulation results prove that the EHA-APVM has a quick response and high robustness to variations of the load and the pump displacement. In this work, the size and weight of the motor are significantly reduced because the maximum power requirement is reduced, which is very beneficial for using the actuator in airborne equipment.     

Spacecraft formation-containment flying control with time-varying translational velocity

This paper investigates the problem of Spacecraft Formation-Containment Flying Control (SFCFC) when the desired translational velocity is time-varying. In SFCFC problem, there are multiple leader spacecraft and multiple follower spacecraft and SFCFC can be divided into leader spacecraft’s formation control and follower spacecraft’s containment control. First, under the condition that only a part of leader spacecraft can have access to the desired time-varying translational velocity, a velocity estimator is designed for each leader spacecraft. Secondly, based on the estimated translational velocity, a distributed formation control algorithm is designed for leader spacecraft to achieve the desired formation and move with the desired translational velocity simultaneously. Then, to ensure all follower spacecraft converge to the convex hull formed by the leader spacecraft, a distributed containment control algorithm is designed for follower spacecraft. Moreover, to reduce the dependence of the designed control algorithms on the graph information and increase system robustness, the control gains are changing adaptively and the parametric uncertainties are handled, respectively. Finally, simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

An adaptive sequential experiment design method for model validation

Efficient experiment design is of great significance for the validation of simulation model with high nonlinearity and large input space. Excessive validation experiment raises the cost while insufficient test increases the risks of accepting an invalid model. In this paper, an adaptive sequential experiment design method combining global exploration criterion and local exploitation criterion is proposed. The exploration criterion utilizes discrepancy metric to improve the space-filling property of the design points while the exploitation criterion employs the leave one out error to discover informative points. To avoid the clustering of samples in the local region, an adaptive weight updating approach is provided to maintain the balance between exploration and exploitation. Besides, the credibility distribution function characterizing the relationship between the input and result credibility is introduced to support the model validation experiment design. Finally, six benchmark problems and an engineering case are applied to examine the performance of the proposed method. The experiments indicate that the proposed method achieves satisfactory performance for function approximation in accuracy and convergence.     

Shape control of spacecraft formation using a virtual spring-damper mesh

This paper derives a distance-based formation control method to maintain the desired formation shape for spacecraft in a gravitational potential field. The method is an analogy of a vir-tual spring-damper mesh. Spacecraft are connected virtually by spring-damper pairs. Convergence analysis is performed using the energy method. Approximate expressions for the distance errors and control accelerations at steady state are derived by using algebraic graph representations and results of graph rigidity. Analytical results indicate that if the underlying graph of the mesh is rigid, the convergence to a static shape is assured, and higher formation control precision can be achieved by increasing the elastic coefficient without increasing the control accelerations. A numerical exam-ple of spacecraft formation in low Earth orbit confirms the theoretical analysis and shows that the desired formation shape can be well achieved using the presented method, whereas the orientation of the formation can be kept pointing to the center of the Earth by the gravity gradient. The method is decentralized, and uses only relative measurement information. Constructing a distributed virtual structure in space can be the general application area. The proposed method can serve as an active shape control law for the spacecraft formations using propellantless internal forces.     

Three-dimensional guidance law based on adaptive integral sliding mode control

For the terminal guidance problem of missiles intercepting maneuvering targets in the three-dimensional space, the design of guidance laws for non-decoupling three-dimensional engage-ment geometry is studied. Firstly, by introducing a finite time integral sliding mode manifold, a novel guidance law based on the integral sliding mode control is presented with the target acceler-ation as a known bounded external disturbance. Then, an improved adaptive guidance law based on the integral sliding mode control without the information of the upper bound on the target accel-eration is developed, where the upper bound of the target acceleration is estimated online by a designed adaptive law. The both presented guidance laws can make sure that the elevation angular rate of the line-of-sight and the azimuth angular rate of the line-of-sight converge to zero in finite time. In the end, the results of the guidance performance for the proposed guidance laws are pre-sented by numerical simulations. Although the designed guidance laws are developed for the con-stant speed missiles, the simulation results for the time-varying speed missiles are also shown to further confirm the designed guidance laws.     

基于离散等价方程的非结构网格有限差分法

激波装配法把解析关系式嵌入流场避免了间断引起的理论问题，使全场一致高精度的实现成为可能，有望解决超声速流动转捩研究中的感受性模拟难题。但装配复杂激波结构以后，被分割的流场空间常出现不规则的几何形状，这给常规的基于结构网格的有限差分法应用带来困难。基于离散等价方程理论，提出了一种新的基于非结构网格的有限差分法，在空间二维离散点附近仅用3条网格线就可以构造出一阶迎风格式。数值算例表明收敛过程对网格质量不敏感，解决了激波装配法模拟激波相交出现小夹角后使用结构网格进行计算存在的难题。根据这种方法的特点展望了未来的应用前景。     

非结构混合网格自适应并行技术

计算流体力学（CFD）模拟实际工程问题所采用的网格规模可达千万量级，并行技术是减少计算时间的有效方法。耦合流场信息的网格自适应技术能有效动态优化计算网格，被NASA视为一项亟待发展的CFD关键技术。混合网格自适应系统包含网格分布优化、表面网格投影和空间网格匹配等关键技术。针对以上3项关键技术分别建立了高效的并行算法。首先，提出了"先唯一后同一"的两步法策略实现了网格单元分布优化过程的并行相容性；其次，基于局部曲面拟合思想，实现了曲面重构和新增物理网格点投影的完全并行；再次，提出了空间网格匹配技术的半并行算法，快速解决了网格单元交错问题。为了提高后续流场计算的并行效率，发展了基于并行重分区-网格数据迁移方法的动态负载平衡技术，并采用圆柱激波流场自适应模拟对动态负载平衡技术进行初步验证。最后，采用三角翼自适应加密测试了自适应系统的并行效率。结果表明，建立的混合网格自适应系统并行效率较高，且相比流场求解耗费总时间的比例低于1%。     

深过冷快速凝固Fe82.5Ni17.5合金的组织演化

采用熔融玻璃净化结合循环过热的方法,使Fe82.5Ni17.5合金获得了330 K的最大初始过冷度.结合理论计算和组织观察,对Fe82.5Ni17.5合金在深过冷条件下的凝固行为和组织形成规律进行了研究.结果表明,过冷度△T＜63 K时,合金的凝固组织为粗大的树枝晶;当63 K＜△T＜158 K时,凝固再辉所产生的重熔效应非常强烈,受此影响,初生的树枝晶被熔断,形成了细化的粒状晶组织;当过冷度进一步增大至158 K＜△T＜203 K时,再辉所产生的重熔效应大大降低,凝固组织进一步演变为发达的树枝晶组织;而当△T＞203 K时,凝固组织的晶粒细化源于快速凝固体积骤变所产生收缩应力导致的初生枝晶碎断.     

非结构网格上欧拉方程的自适应逆风隐式有限元解法

本文发展了一种解二维欧拉方程的隐式逆风有限元格式。空间近似应用的是二阶精度逆风方法；时间近似上根据数值通量函数的线性化处理导出了有限元的隐格式。为减少数值振荡，引入了基于特征变量的限制因子。在经自适应处理的非结构网络上，本文对跨、超、高超声速绕流进行了数值模拟。计算实践表明发展的隐式有限元格式与显格式相比具有较高的计算效率和较强的适应性。