Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.06.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Systems and cybernetics |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T125 |
Technological sciences |
Automation, robotics, control engineering |
control technology, automatic control, cybernetics, control systems, mathematical modelling, systems engineering, software engineering, industrial informatics, fault detection, electronics, system dynamic
Researchers (31)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0106 |
Jožef Stefan Institute |
Ljubljana |
5051606000 |
90,753 |
Abstract
The operation of modern systems and processes is largely based on embedded control technology, which integrates knowledge from control and systems theory, electronics, computer and information sciences, systems engineering and also knowledge from target application domains.
The key objective of the underlying research programme is to contribute new methods and technical solutions for applications, which are expected to bring benefits in terms of better quality, efficiency and reliability as well as improved design, commissioning and use of control systems.
The programme is composed of four major subprojects:
A.COMPLEX SYSTEMS CONTROL
Most processes can be controlled by relatively simple and standard control methods. Unfortunately there are also processes, which are rather complex regarding their dynamics and uncertain behaviour. The focus within this subproject will be on research and application of nonlinear, predictive, self-tuning and adaptive control, able to cope with these problems. The applications on chemical processes, power systems and - in particular - wastewater treatment plants are foreseen.
B.FAULT DETECTION AND ISOLATION
On-line condition monitoring of products and processes is getting essential in modern production systems. Research in this field will concentrate on design of diagnostic systems robust to modelling errors. Particular endeavour will be paid to the application of advanced nonlinear signal processing techniques for extraction of features that proved useful in a range of industrial problems. The algorithms will be evaluated on laboratory test rigs and in the frame of demonstration applications in industry.
C.COMPUTER INTEGRATED PRODUCTION
One of the main issues in industry today is appropriate integration of the control processes on the physical (equipment) level, production level and business level. This is a hot topic, which is receiving a great deal of attention right now. Our work will concentrate on problems related to mastering the life-cycle of (integrated) control systems, to production decision support systems, to production scheduling algorithms, and to non-technical aspects of control and IT systems introduction. Research will be carried out in the close co-operation with several industrial partners in Slovenia.
D.DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED IMPLEMENTATION TECHNOLOGY
Control systems implementation is heavily based on mastering the appropriate implementation technology. Our focus will be on development of special-purpose modules for industrial programmable logic controllers (PLC's), on tools for more efficient implementation of advanced control algorithms, tools for better production control and on automatic code generation for PLC's.
Significance for science
The significance of the program on an international scale is based on its new theoretical achievements and foremost on the successful transfer of theory into practice. The broader research and application relevance of the results of the program are confirmed by papers published in distinguished international journals, contributions at the most prominent scientific meetings, and also through intensive international collaboration in projects under the EU 6.FP, bilateral research projects, and direct contracts with foreign companies. The significance of this program for the development of science is demonstrated by the following contributions: (a)Original procedures for the synthesis of models of nonlinear dynamic systems from data based on Gaussian processes. This area of work is regarded as a relatively new discipline, which places our research group in the spotlight on a global scale. Work in this field will contribute to the field of nonparametric identification of dynamic stochastic processes. (b)Additions and improvements in the field of explicit predictive control. This is a popular type of control strategy, which is applied in industrial and embedded systems. The contributions of our group are related to the handling of disturbances, which increases the usability of such methods in uncertain conditions, and the experimental evaluation of such methods on a series of real processes. (c)The transfer of advanced control procedures to logical controllers. This is considered to be a significant shift in the direction of easier use of efficient algorithms for control on standard platforms. (d)Systems diagnostics. Our group contributed new approaches based on the analysis of signals, which are above all useful in the field of rotating machines. We confirmed their usability also through successful industrial applications. (e)A development environment for the synthesis of software based on the domain-specific modeling language ProcGraph. In this field we are recognized in the Slovenian environment as well as in the international community. It is important to point out that the concepts developed are supported by important industrial applications. (f)Control of wastewater treatment plants. The new algorithms developed by the group to increase the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants have been recognized as a significant contribution by the international scientific community. (g)New control algorithms in the field of automatic airplane landing based on visual servoing and predictive control, which opens the possibility of landing airplanes on a significantly larger range of runways. (h)Control of fuel cells. The group has been improving the procedures for controlling of fuels cells in new dedicated applications, which is an important step towards increased usefulness. (i)New practices in the field of designing building blocks and devices with built-in “intelligence”. In this field we have the leading position in Slovenia as well as a good reputation abroad. This segment importantly contributes to the mission of our group.
Significance for the country
The results achieved in the framework of the research program are already having an important impact on the development of Slovenia, and we believe that they will continue to do so also in the future. Evidence for this can be seen in the following facts: • The research program dealt with important topics in the area of control technology, which is known as a “hidden” technology that significantly improves the quality of products, increases production, makes the operation of processes and devices more reliable and repeatable, reduces the use of energy and raw materials, reduces pollution, increases humanization of work, etc. • The program topics were mostly applied research and technology oriented, therefore it was possible to use the achieved results, either directly or indirectly, in the frame of intensive cooperation with industry. The evidence that there truly was intensive cooperation is the fact that 58 larger and smaller projects were carried out for various companies by members of the program team in the last five years. As can be seen from the report, many new products, new systems, process improvements, prototypes, etc. have resulted from the research program and related projects, and the vast majority of them have already been implemented by industrial companies. This fact has certainly had an important impact on the international competitiveness of Slovenian companies. The knowledge gathered within the research program has also been used in the area of infrastructure, e.g. by waste water treatment plants which increased performance and improved the quality of operations. • The achieved results will have an even greater impact due to the intensive involvement of the research program team in the innovative environment (i.e. the technology network Process Control technology, the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Control Technologies, and the Technology Centre for Automation, Robotics and Informatics). The mentioned environment connects companies and academic institutions, and was established with the aid of some members of our research group, who are also active in the organization and coordination of its individual entities. • The resulting knowledge is already being disseminated through the regular undergraduate and postgraduate courses conducted by our researchers in the framework of the educational programs of the University of Ljubljana, the University of Nova Gorica, the University of Maribor and the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School. Furthermore, an important aspect of such dissemination is also carried out through regular weekly courses in the framework of the continuing education program for engineers coming from industry organized by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, and our Department.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
