Compensation of time delay using a predictive controller

Abstract

A predictive controller is designed based upon stochastic methods to compensate the time-delay on a system that inherently has time-delay caused by the spatial separation between controllers and actuators. The predictive controller estimates current outputs using a linear prediction function and a probability function in terms of previous outputs, and minimizes the malicious phenomena caused by time-delay in the precise control systems. To demonstrate effectiveness of this control methodology, this algorithm is applied to the control of a remote operated DC servomotor. The experimental results show that this predictive controller is superior to the conventional PID controller in terms of convergence characteristics, and also show that this controller expands the maximum allowable time-delay for a system. Since the proposed predictor does not require a specific model for the plant-it requires only stochastic information on the outputs-, it can be applied to the control of general nonlinear systems.