TIME OPTIMAL CONTROL OF HIGH-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS

Abstract

For time optimal control of high-dimensional systems, we use time stages of varying length, and iterative dynamic programming (IDP) to search simultaneously for the switching times and the stage lengths. The procedure is evaluated with a twenty plate gas absorber having two control variables. To obtain convergence in reliable manner, the use of continuation as shown in this paper is very effective. The accurate switching times yield better results than have been reported in the literature. The computational procedure is straightforward and the computations can be readily carried out on a personal computer.