A Computational Approach to Optimal Control Problems with Almost Smooth Controls

In this paper, we consider a class of optimal control problems involving continuous control and state inequality constraints where the control is almost smooth. We first employ the control parametrization technique via approximating the control signal by a piecewise linear function. Then, we develop a time scaling transformation procedure for transforming the approximate problem into an equivalent problem that can be solved readily using conventional methods. On this basis, a novel exact penalty function method is constructed by appending penalized constraint violations to the cost function. The gradient formulas and convergent properties ensure that the transformed unconstrained optimal parameter selection problems can be solved by existing optimization algorithms or software packages. Finally, an example is solved showing the effectiveness and applicability of the approach proposed.