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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Nonlinear Optimal Control in Water Distribution Network

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2020

Submitted on

Pages

135

Abstract

Denne opgave bygger videre på tidligere arbejde, der anvendte Model Predictive Control (MPC), en metode der bruger en model til at planlægge styringen nogle skridt frem, til et vanddistributionsnet. Vi designer et ikke‑lineært optimalt styresystem for et lille net med to pumpestationer, to forbrugere og et højtliggende reservoir. På overordnet niveau koordinerer en Nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (NMPC) systemet for at reducere driftsomkostninger og udjævne tryk ved forbrugerne. På udstyrsniveau styres hver pumpe lokalt af en proportional–integral (PI) regulator for flowkontrol. For at forudse ændringer i forbruget udvikler vi en Kalman‑filterbaseret prædiktor, en statistisk estimator der udleder fremtidig efterspørgsel ud fra støjfyldte målinger; her bruges reservoirtryk til at forudsige forbrugernes efterspørgsel. NMPC'en og prædiktoren implementeres og testes på en simuleret anlægsmodel og på en laboratorieopstilling, og ydeevnen sammenlignes med den tidligere MPC‑tilgang. Vi analyserer også stabiliteten: først med Lyapunov‑metoder, som vurderer om små forstyrrelser dør ud, på en ikke‑lineær model uden forsinkelser, og derefter på en lineariseret model med tidsforsinkelser mellem handling og effekt.

This project builds on earlier work that used Model Predictive Control (MPC), a method that uses a model to plan actions a few steps ahead, for a water distribution network. We design a nonlinear optimal control system for a small network with two pumping stations, two consumers, and an elevated reservoir. At the top level, a Nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (NMPC) coordinates the system to reduce operating cost and smooth pressure at consumer connections. At the equipment level, each pump is governed by a proportional–integral (PI) controller for local flow control. To anticipate changes in demand, we develop a Kalman filter–based predictor, a statistical estimator that infers future demand from noisy measurements; here it uses reservoir pressure to predict consumer demand. The NMPC and predictor are implemented on a simulated plant and a laboratory setup, and their performance is compared with the earlier MPC approach. We also analyze stability: first using Lyapunov methods, which assess whether small disturbances die out, on a nonlinear model without delays, and then on a linearized model that includes time delays between actions and effects.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]