Plug-and-play distributed model predictive control with coupling attenuation

We consider the control of a large-scale system composed of state-coupled linear subsystems that can be added or removed offline. In this paper, we present plug-and-play (PnP) design methods based on model predictive control, meaning that (i) the design of a local controller requires information from parent subsystems only, (ii) the plugging in/out of a subsystem triggers at most the redesign of controllers associated to subsystems coupled to it, and (iii) plug-in/out operations are automatically denied if they compromise the stability of the overall system or constraint satisfaction. We advance previously proposed PnP decentralized control schemes by introducing a distributed control architecture that exploits communication between coupled subsystems. New controllers embody coupling attenuation terms that make PnP design applicable even when existing synthesis method are not. The main features of our approach are illustrated considering the PnP design of controllers for regulating the frequency of multiple generators in power networks. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.