A distributed stochastic model predictive control algorithm is proposed for multiple linear subsystems with both parameter uncertainty and stochastic disturbances, which are coupled via probabilistic constraints. To handle the probabilistic constraints, the system dynamics is first decomposed into a nominal part and an uncertain part. The uncertain part is further divided into 2 parts: the first one is constrained to lie in probabilistic tubes that are calculated offline through the use of the probabilistic information on disturbances, whereas the second one is constrained to lie in polytopic tubes whose volumes are optimized online and whose facets' orientations are determined offline. By permitting a single subsystem to optimize at each time step, the probabilistic constraints are then reduced into a set of linear deterministic constraints, and the online optimization problem is transformed into a convex optimization problem that can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, compared to a centralized control scheme, the distributed stochastic model predictive control algorithm only requires message transmissions when a subsystem is optimized, thereby offering greater flexibility in communication. By designing a tailored invariant terminal set for each subsystem, the proposed algorithm can achieve recursive feasibility, which, in turn, ensures closed-loop stability of the entire system. A numerical example is given to illustrate the efficacy of the algorithm. Copyright 

Queue overflow of a dynamic queue system gives rise to the information loss (or packet loss) in the communication buffer or the decrease of throughput in the transportation network. This paper investigates a stochastic optimal control problem for dynamic queue systems when imposing probability constraints on queue overflows. We reformulate this problem as a Markov decision process (MDP) with safety constraints. We prove that both finite-horizon and infinite-horizon stochastic optimal control for MDP with such constraints can be transformed as a linear program (LP), respectively. Feasibility conditions are provided for the finite-horizon constrained control problem. Two implementation algorithms are designed under the assumption that only the state (not the state distribution) can be observed at each time instant. Simulation results compare optimal cost and state distribution among different scenarios, and show the probability constraint satisfaction by the proposed algorithms.

A stochastic self-triggered model predictive control (SSMPC) algorithm is proposed for linear systems subject to exogenous disturbances and probabilistic constraints. The main idea behind the self-triggered framework is that at each sampling instant, an optimization problem is solved to determine both the next sampling instant and the control inputs to be applied between the two sampling instants. Although the self-triggered implementation achieves communication reduction, the control commands are necessarily applied in open-loop between sampling instants. To guarantee probabilistic constraint satisfaction, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived on the nominal systems by using the information on the distribution of the disturbances explicitly. Moreover, based on a tailored terminal set, a multi-step open-loop MPC optimization problem with infinite prediction horizon is transformed into a tractable quadratic programming problem with guaranteed recursive feasibility. The closed-loop system is shown to be stable. Numerical examples illustrate the efficacy of the proposed scheme in terms of performance, constraint satisfaction, and reduction of both control updates and communications with a conventional time-triggered scheme.

This paper studies the distributed freeway ramp metering problem, for which the cell transmission model (CTM) is utilized. Considering the jam density and the upper bounds on the queue lengths and the ramp metering, we first provide feasibility conditions with respect to the external demand to ensure the controllability of the freeway. Assuming that the freeway is controllable, we formulate an optimization problem which tradeoffs the maximum average flow speed and the minimum waiting queue for each cell. Although the cells of the CTM are dynamically coupled, we propose a distributed backward algorithm for the optimization problem and prove that the solution to the problem is a Nash equilibrium. Furthermore, if the optimization problem is simplified to only maximization of the average flow speed, we argue that the obtained explicit distributed controller is globally optimal. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.

This technical note develops a new form of distributed stochastic model predictive control (DSMPC) algorithm for a group of linear stochastic subsystems subject to additive uncertainty and coupled probabilistic constraints. We provide an appropriate way to design the DSMPC algorithm by extending a centralized SMPC (CSMPC) scheme. To achieve the satisfaction of coupled probabilistic constraints in a distributed manner, only one subsystem is permitted to optimize at each time step. In addition, by making explicit use of the probabilistic distribution of the uncertainties, probabilistic constraints are converted into a set of deterministic constraints for the predictions of nominal models. The distributed controller can achieve recursive feasibility and ensure closed-loop stability for any choice of update sequence. Numerical examples illustrate the efficacy of the algorithm.