Distributed model predictive control with hierarchical architecture for communication: application in automated irrigation channels

This paper is concerned with a distributed model predictive control method that is based on a distributed optimization method with two-level architecture for communication. Feasibility (constraints satisfaction by the approximated solution), convergence and optimality of this distributed optimization method are mathematically proved. For an automated irrigation channel, the satisfactory performance of the proposed distributed model predictive control method in attenuation of the undesired upstream transient error propagation and amplification phenomenon is illustrated and compared with the performance of another distributed model predictive control method that exploits a single-level architecture for communication. It is illustrated that the distributed model predictive control that exploits a two-level architecture for communication has a better performance by better managing communication overhead. KeywordsDistributed model predictive control, large-scale linear systems, networked control system optimization. January 15, 2016 DRAFT