Consensus in Plug-and-Play Heterogeneous Dynamical Networks: A Passivity Compensation Approach

TL;DR

This paper presents a passivity-compensation method for achieving output consensus in heterogeneous dynamical networks, allowing modular interconnection without global reanalysis by leveraging surplus passivity in couplings.

Contribution

It introduces a local passivity-based approach that ensures consensus in plug-and-play heterogeneous networks using verifiable interface conditions.

Findings

Enables modular network interconnection without global reanalysis

Guarantees consensus through local passivity conditions

Applicable to networks with nonlinear diffusive couplings

Abstract

This paper investigates output consensus in heterogeneous dynamical networks within a plug-and-play framework. The networks are interconnected through nonlinear diffusive couplings and operate in the presence of measurement and communication noise. Focusing on systems that are input feedforward passive (IFP), we propose a passivity-compensation approach that exploits the surplus passivity of coupling links to locally offset shortages of passivity at the nodes. This mechanism enables subnetworks to be interconnected without requiring global reanalysis, thereby preserving modularity. Specifically, we derive locally verifiable interface conditions, expressed in terms of passivity indices and coupling gains, to guarantee that consensus properties of individual subnetworks are preserved when forming larger networks.