Design of a multivariable neural controller for control of a nonlinear MIMO plant

The paper presents the training problem of a set of neural nets to obtain a (gain-scheduling, adaptive) multivariable neural controller for control of a nonlinear MIMO dynamic process represented by a mathematical model of Low-Frequency (LF) motions of a drillship over the drilling point at the sea bottom. The designed neural controller contains a set of neural nets that determine values of its parameters chosen on the basis of two measured auxiliary signals. These are the ship’s current forward speed measured with respect to water and the systematically calculated difference between the course angle and the sea current (yaw angle). Four different methods for synthesis of multivariable modal controllers are used to obtain source data for training the neural controller with parameters reproduced by neural networks. Neural networks are designed on the basis of 3650 modal controllers obtained with the use of the pole placement technique after having linearized the model of LF motions made by the vessel at its nominal operating points in steady states that are dependent on the specified yaw angle and the sea current velocity. The final part of the paper includes simulation results of system operation with a neural controller along with conclusions and final remarks.