Linear dynamic operability analysis with state-space projection for the online construction of achievable output funnels

Abstract

This study presents the development of a dynamic operability analysis approach to determine an operable output funnel for linear time-invariant dynamic systems. Traditional operability mapping approaches are computationally expensive, limiting their application for online control. To address this challenge, a novel two-step calculation procedure is proposed in this article. The first step involves offline computation of the nominal funnel through convex hull construction of manipulated variable projections. The second step involves an online update that adapts the nominal funnel to an operable region based on current state information. The proposed method results in a dynamic funnel that can accommodate process disturbances and measurement noises in the form of transient output constraints. The obtained funnel can be effectively used for model predictive control applications. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, the cyber–physical fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid power system in the HYbrid PERformance (HYPER) process from NETL is used as an example in this study. The dynamic operability funnel constructed with the novel method requires a significantly smaller number of dynamic simulations when compared to the conventional operability mapping method, while maintaining similar accuracy. The results obtained using the proposed approach demonstrate its potential for improving the online control of dynamic systems.