Westinghouse Electric Corporation

George S Axelby

Clinton W Moulds

Vedat Geldiay

Apparatus and method for controlling the output of a dynamic system which is susceptible to changing dynamic characteristics. The desired present and future outputs of the system are applied to a predictor which determines the inputs to a model reference adaptive control subsystem from which the actual outputs are produced. The predictor uses an impulse model of the subsystem to simulate and predict future outputs. The adaptive control subsystem includes adjustable gain feedback or controlloops which are adjusted to make the dynamic system appear to have constant characteristics even when its dynamic characteristics are changing. A reference model of the dynamic system is used as the basis for the gain adjustments. The equation weights for the mathematical impulse model used by the input predictor are derived from the reference model of the adaptive control subsystem, and remain constant throughout the operation of the controller.

Predictive model reference adaptive controller

Predictive control of a controlled dynamic system having conventional feedback. The input predictor processes the assumed inputs to the controlled system to determine an error output or value corresponding to the outputs only at the prediction horizon interval. The error output is processed by scalar mathematical operations to adjust the assumed inputs and form actual inputs to the controlled system. This method of predicting the inputs can be accomplished in less time than required by previous systems, and the stability of the controlled system, particularly non-minimum phase systems, is improved.

Growing community of inventors

North Linthicum, MD, United States of America

George S Axelby