Cooperative output regulation of multi-agent network systems with dynamic edges

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel class of multi-agent systems with dynamic edges, proposing cooperative output regulation strategies that utilize passivity and internal model principles, demonstrated through electrical network simulations.

Contribution

It develops distributed controllers for multi-agent systems with dynamic edges, a new framework combining passivity and internal models for cooperative output regulation.

Findings

Controllers achieve output synchronization and cooperation.

Simulation confirms effectiveness in electrical network control.

Framework extends existing multi-agent control methods.

Abstract

This paper investigates a new class of linear multi-agent network systems, in which nodes are coupled by dynamic edges in the sense that each edge has a dynamic system attached as well. The outputs of the edge dynamic systems form the external inputs of the node dynamic systems, which are termed "neighboring inputs" representing the coupling actions between nodes. The outputs of the node dynamic systems are the inputs of the edge dynamic systems. Several cooperative output regulation problems are posed, including output synchronization, output cooperation and master-slave output cooperation. Output cooperation is specified as making the neighboring input, a weighted sum of edge outputs, track a predefined trajectory by cooperation of node outputs. Distributed cooperative output regulation controllers depending on local state and neighboring inputs are presented, which are designed by combining feedback passivity theories and the internal model principle. A simulation example on the cooperative current control of an electrical network illustrates the potential applications of the analytical results.