Safe economic model predictive control of nonlinear systems

Abstract

This work focuses on the design of a new class of economic model predictive control (EMPC) systems for nonlinear systems that address simultaneously the tasks of economic optimality, safety and closed-loop stability. This is accomplished by incorporating in the EMPC an economics-based cost function and Control Lyapunov-Barrier Function (CLBF)-based constraints that ensure that the closed-loop state does not enter unsafe sets and remains within a well-characterized set in the system state-space. The new class of CLBF-EMPC systems is demonstrated using a nonlinear chemical process example.