Distributed MPC with Prediction of Time-Varying Communication Delay

TL;DR

This paper introduces a distributed model predictive control framework that incorporates predictions of time-varying communication delays to enhance control performance in networked systems.

Contribution

It proposes a dynamic communication network model and a predictive scheduling algorithm that forecasts delays, integrating them into distributed MPC for improved coordination.

Findings

Enhanced control performance demonstrated in platooning example

Predictive scheduling effectively manages time-varying delays

Framework improves robustness of distributed control systems

Abstract

The novel idea presented in this paper is to interweave distributed model predictive control with a reliable scheduling of the information that is interchanged between local controllers of the plant subsystems. To this end, a dynamic model of the communication network and a predictive scheduling algorithm are proposed, the latter providing predictions of the delay between sending and receiving information. These predictions can be used by the local subsystem controllers to improve their control performance, as exemplary shown for a platooning example.