Proceedings of the 2nd IFAC

Workshop on Fractional Differentiation and its Applications

Porto, Portugal, July 19-21, 2006

ON THE GPI-PWM CONTROL OF A CLASS OF

SWITCHED FRACTIONAL ORDER SYSTEMS 1

Hebertt Sira-Ramrez Vicente Feliu Batlle

Cinvestav-IPN, Seccion de Mecatronica,
Dept. Ingeniera Electrica,
Av. IPN, # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, A.P. 14740,
07300 Mexico, D.F., Mexico.

Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
ETSI Industriales, Av. Camilo Jose Cela s/n, 13004
Ciudad Real, Espana

Abstract: The control of a special class of Single Input Single Output (SISO)
switched fractional order systems (SFOS), known as the relaxation-oscillation
equation, is addressed from the viewpoints of the Generalized Proportional Integral
(GPI) feedback control approach in combination with a Pulse-Width-Modulation
(PWM) based modulator implementation of an average model based
designed feedback controller. An illustrative simulation example is presented.

Keywords: Fractional Order Systems, Pulse Width Modulation Control,

Sigma-Delta modulation.

1. INTRODUCTION and the mathematically biased book by Polubny

Fractional Calculus and the study of systems de-
scribed by Fractional Order Differential Equations
have acquired significant importance in the mod-
elling and control of a large number of physical
systems of various kinds. The many contributions
in this field are being reported in specialized sci-
entific meetings throughout the world and docu-
mented through special issues of relevant journals
devoted to applied mathematics and engineering
(see, for instance, the special issue of the Journal
Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol. 1-4, 2004.). The reader
may benefit from the control engineering oriented
book written by Oustaloup (Oustaloup, 1995),
1 Research financed by the Spanish Government Research
Programme via Project DPI-2003-03326 (MCyT), and by
the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Dr.
Sira-Ramrez sabbatical stay in the UCLM was financed
by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science through
the Secretara de Estado de Universidades e Investigacion
and its Direccion General de Universidades.
(Polubny, 1999), as well as the tutorial article by
Vinagre et al. (Vinagre B., 2002).
The design of feedback controllers for linear frac-
tional order systems has been approached from
classical frequency domain design methods, such
as the Nyquist stability criterion and graphical
frequency domain analysis methods. The control
design techniques available for this class of ubiq-
uitous systems seem to suffer from a lack of direct
systematic approaches based on ideas related to
pole placement, observer design, and some other
popular modern controller synthesis techniques.
In this article, we address switched fractional or-
der systems (SFOS), i.e., systems whose mathe-
matical description entitles fractional order time
derivatives including the presence of ideal switches
acting as control input variables. We propose a
systematic fractional order dynamic output feed-
back controller design method for a special class
of switched fractional order systems, known as the b
y(s) = av (s)
explicit fractional derivative system (see Melchior, s + a
et al. (Melchor P., 2004)) and also addressed as the
benchmark model in the work of Poinot and Trige- Notice that, in our particular case, the average
assou (Poinot T., 2004) and as the relaxation- version of the variable y fractionally differentially
oscillation equation in (Polubny, 1999). We pro- parameterizes the average input of the system.
pose a combination of the Generalized Propor- This means that av , as well as the average switch
tional Integral (GPI) feedback control design tech- position function uav , can be written as linear
nique and the PWM variant of modulation differential functions of y i.e., they involve y and a
for the switched implementation of average de- finite number of its fractional derivatives. Indeed,
signed feedback control laws. from the system equations we have:
Section 2 deals with the definitions and nota- 1 h () i
tion used in the article. Section 3 formulates and av = y + ay ,
b
solves, in substantial generality -within the bench-  () 
mark model perspective- the trajectory tracking 1 y + ay
uav = W0 (2)
problem for the time invariant SISO switched W1 W0 b
relaxation-oscillation linear system model. Section The differential parameterizations of av and uav ,
4 presents a controller design example for a heat- in (2), will be instrumental in synthesizing a com-
ing system along with digital computer simula- pensating feed-forward term in the controller solv-
tions. Section 5 is devoted to some conclusions and ing a trajectory tracking problem to be formulated
suggestions for further research. The appendix in the next section. The output variable y may
collects some facts and generalities about PWM be properly addressed as the flat output of the
based modulation as an efficient means of system (See Fliess et al. (Fliess M., 1995) and Sira-
implementing average feedback control designs in Ramrez and Agrawal (Sira-Ramrez H., 2004)).
a switched dynamical system.

2. DEFINITIONS AND NOTATION 3. PROBLEM FORMULATION,

ASSUMPTIONS AND MAIN RESULTS
A Switched Fractional Order System (SFOS) is a
FOS system where the control input u is restricted Given a desired, smooth, output reference tra-
to take values in the discrete set {0, 1}. jectory y (t), for the switched FOS (1), find a
dynamical output feedback controller such that,
An average model of a SFOS is obtained from on the average, the output of the switched sys-
the original dynamic description of the switched tem, y(t), asymptotically exponentially tracks the
system by simply replacing the discrete-valued given smooth reference trajectory y (t).
control input variable u by the continuous valued
control input, uav , taking values in the closed
interval [0, 1] of the real line. 3.1 Main Result
+
Let n N be a strictly positive natural number
and let [ ] denote the integer part of the bracketed In the context of PWM based modulation
real number. We consider the following switched of the Appendix, we have the following result:
version of the SISO explicit fractional derivative
system: Theorem 1. Given a desired output smooth refer-
ence trajectory y (t), the following switched feed-
y () = ay +b, [] = n1, {W0 , W1 } (1)
back controller, with 0 < = n < 1:
where W0 and W1 , with W1 > W0 , are arbitrary
real numbers representing the available control
u = P W M (e(tk ))
values for the switched control input . The switch
position function model of the system is simply e = uav u
given by, P W M (e(tk )) =
() 
y = ay + b [W0 + u(W1 W0 )] , [] = n 1, 1 for tk t < tk + (e(tk ))T
with u {0, 1}. The average model of the 0 for tk + (e(tk ))T t < tk + T
switched explicit fractional order system (1), is k = 0, 1, 2, . . .

written as: 1e for e

y () = ay + bav , [ ] = n 1, av [W0 , W1 ] (e) = for 0 < e <


The corresponding fractional power transfer func- 0 for e 0
tion representation of the average fractional order 1
system (1) is given by: uav = [av W0 ]
W1 W0
  
1 n(s) responses of the PWM switched system consti-
av = av (t) + a + (y (t) y) tute uniform approximations to the ideal slid-
b d(s)
ing mode equivalent responses. For those
n(s) = kn sn + kn1 sn1 + + k1 s + k0

initial states that do not lead to permanent or
d(s) = s+1 sn1 + k2n1 sn2 + + kn1 semi-permanent saturation conditions on the con-
1 h () i troller, the closed loop system -approximately
av (t) = [y (t)] + ay (t) (3)
b evolves as described by the average behavior ex-
plained above. The stability features around the
semi-globally renders the trajectories of the con-
origin of the tracking error space are only semi-
trolled system to oscillate above the origin of the
global. The result follows.
tracking error space ey = y y (t), within a
bounded interval of magnitude , provided the 2
coefficients of the classical compensator network,
{k2n1 , k2n2 , . . . , k1 , k0 }, are chosen so that the
closed loop characteristic polynomial of the aver- 4. TRAJECTORY TRACKING FOR A
age system, given by SWITCHED HEATING RADIATOR SYSTEM
p(s) = s2n + k2n1 s2n1 + + k1 s + k0
Consider the following fractional order switched
is a Hurwitz polynomial and T and are chosen model of an electric radiator system (see (Petras I.,
to satisfy: T < 2. 2002))
Dt1.26 y +0.015y = = 0.0252 {W0 + u[W1 W0 ]}
Proof (6)
where u {0, 1}, W0 = 0, W1 = 220, hence,
Fist note, that according to theorems 2 and 4 in
{0, 5.543}. In average fractional order transfer
the Appendix, the PWM based modulator
function representation:
ideally renders, under infinite sampling frequency
assumptions, a zero dynamics -corresponding to y(s) 1
G(s) = = 1.26 (7)
the underlying modulator induced sliding av (s) s + 0.015
motion- described by an average closed loop sys-
tem of the form: The FOS is flat, with flat output given by y. The

average control input trajectory, av , and the aver-

age switch position function uav (t) corresponding
y () = ay + b [W0 + uav (W1 W0 )] to a desired nominal reference output signal y (t)
1 are given by
uav = [av W0 ]
W1 W0
 
1 n(s)

av = av (t) + a + (y (t) y)

av (t) = Dt1.26 y (t) + 0.015y (t),
b d(s) 1
n(s) = kn sn + kn1 sn1 + + k1 s + k0 uav (t) =

0.0252 (W1 W0 )
 1.26 
d(s) = s+1 sn1 + k2n1 sn2 + + kn1 Dt y (t) + 0.015y (t) 0.0252W0
1 h () i
= 0.1803 av (t)
av (t) = [y (t)] + ay (t) (4)
b
The state-dependent input coordinate transfor-
Let ey = yy (t). Rearranging the previous equa-
mation
tions we obtain, in the abusive, but customary,
time domain-frequency domain mixed notation,  
1
the following average closed loop dynamics for the av = 0.015y + av = 0.015y + Dt0.74 av
s0.74
output tracking error,
transforms the average system of (6) into the
 
n(s) integer order system:
e()
y (t) = ey (t) (5)
d(s) y = av
whose governing characteristic equation is given
by, A classical GPI controller with integral control

action completes the output feedback tracking
s2n + k2n1 s2n1 + + k1 s + k0 ey = 0 controller design
 
k2 s2 + k1 s + k0
Under the realistic finite sampling frequency as- av = y (t) (y y (t))
s(s + k3 )
sumption, theorem 3 in the Appendix guarantees,
for a given > 0, the existence of a sampling where the set of constant gains: {k3 , k2 , k1 , k0 },
period T , (T < 2), for which the closed loop are chosen so that the closed loop characteristic
polynomial, governing the average tracking error
system dynamics e = y y (t), given by,
p(s) = s4 + k3 s3 + k2 s2 + k1 s + k0
is a Hurwitz polynomial. The controller gains can
be obtained, for instance, by forcing p(s) to be
identical to the desired fourth order polynomial:
pd (s) = (s2 + 2n s + n2 )2
= s4 + 4n s3 + (4 2 n2 + 2n2 )s2 + 4n3 s + n4
The average feedback control law, for the control
input av , is thus given by the fractional order
GPI compensator network:
  
k2 s2 + k1 s + k0
av = av (t) + 0.015 e(t)
s1.74 (s + k3 )
with e = y y (t), and
1 or root locus, and it results in a rather robust,
uav = [av 0.0252W0 ]
0.0252 (W1 W0 )
= 0.1803 av
The PWM based modulation implemen-
tation of the average feedback controller for the
switched system is simply accomplished by means
of
e = uav (t) u, u = P W M (e(tk ))
with the PWM operator chosen as indicated in
equations (9) and (13) in the Appendix.
Figure 1 depicts the fractional order GPI control
scheme achieving approximate trajectory tracking
for the fractional order switched heating radiator
system.
Simulations were performed for a trajectory track-
ing task entitling a rest to rest maneuver
smoothly rising the temperature from the initial
value of 0 towards the final constant value of 50,
to take place within the time interval [0, 35] sec.
The PWM based modulator (9)-(13) was
used with: = 0.1, and a sampling time given by:
T = 0.01.
Figure 4 depicts the system output variable re-
sponse in comparison with the prescribed nomi-
nal output reference trajectory. The average con-
trol input uav , the nominal average control input
uav (t) and its PWM switched realization u are
shown in Figure 5. The trajectory tracking fea-
tures and the precision of the closed loop simu-
lated response are quite encouraging.
5. CONCLUSIONS
In this article, we have presented a systematic
feedback controller design for a switched version of
the explicit fractional derivative system with arbi-
trary high order leading fractional derivative. The
feedback controller design is greatly facilitated by
resorting to the infinite frequency average system
model. Within the average description of the dy-
namic system, a Generalized Proportional Inte-
gral controller is readily designed in a systematic
manner using a recent extension of the GPI con-
troller methodology. Incidentally, this boils down
to educated classical compensation network
controller design without frequency domain based
graphical aids. The average control implementa-
tion restriction, represented by the binary nature
of the switched input, is handled by using a PWM
based modulator coding block accepting
the designed average feedback control signal as an
input and yielding, as an output, a pulsed signal
with the required average control properties to be
processed by the plant. The feedback controller
design task does not resort to traditional graphical
methods, such as Nyquist diagrams, Bode plots
easy to implement, dynamical output feedback
compensation network allowing both trajectory
tracking and stabilization.
6. APPENDIX: SIGMA-DELTA
MODULATION
modulation is a tool that allows to translate
continuous (i.e. average) feedback controller de-
sign options into implementable switch controlled
strategies with practically the same closed loop
behavior (see (Sira-Ramrez, 2003) for further de-
tails). For the necessary background on sliding
mode control, the reader is referred to the book
(Utkin, 1978).
Theorem 2. Consider the -modulator of Fig-
ure 2. Given a sufficiently smooth, bounded, signal
uav (t), then the integral error signal, e(t), con-
verges to zero in a finite time, th , and, moreover,
from any arbitrary initial value, e(t0 ), a sliding
motion exists on the perfect encoding condition
surface, represented by e = 0, for all t > th , pro-
vided the following encoding condition is satisfied
for all t,
0 < uav (t) < 1 (8)
Proof (see (Sira-Ramrez, 2003)).
The average -modulator output ueq , ideally
yields the modulators input signal uav (t) in an
equivalent control sense.
PWM based modulation
One of the practical limitations of sliding mode
based modulation lies in the underlying
need of very high switching frequency. In fact,
the nice encoding features of analog signals via
 modulation are valid, and perfect, only un-
der an infinite switching frequency assumption; a
limitation which is characteristic of the underlying
sliding mode scheme.
An alternative to substantially lower the switching
frequency to practical levels, and still retain a
certain degree of encoding approximation, is to
resort to a PWM coding block in replacement
of the ideal switch block present in the
modulator (See Figure 3).
We consider then the following description of a
PWM based modulator
e = uav (t) u
u = P W M (t)
P W M (t) =
 Lyapunov function candidate: V (e(tk )) = | e(tk ) |
1 for tk t < tk + (e(tk ))T
0 for tk + (e(tk ))T t < tk + T
k = 0, 1, 2, ... (9)
where T > 0 is a fixed sampling period, the
feedback function () is known as the duty ratio
specifying the width of the pulse, of value 1, within
the sampling interval [tk , tk + T ]. The input signal
uav (t), is, as before, a sufficiently smooth signal
strictly bounded by the closed interval [0, 1].
An exact integration of the modulation
equation in the interval [tk , tk + (e(tk ))T ] yields,
e(tk + (e(tk ))T ) = e(tk ) (e(tk ))T
Z tk +(e(tk ))T
+ uav ()d (10)
tk
Similarly, integrating the same equation in the
interval [tk + (e(tk ))T, tk + T ] results in,
e(tk + T ) = e(tk + (e(tk ))T )
Z tk +T
+ uav ()d (11)
tk +(e(tk ))T
Substituting the expression in (11) into (10),
we obtain the following anti-causal discrete time
model of the PWM based modulation
scheme:
Z tk +T
e(tk + T ) = e(tk ) (e(tk ))T + uav ()d behavior of sliding mode modulation. Using
tk
(12)
Equation (12) poses, in spite of its simplicity,
an interesting control problem for the design of
the feedback function () in the presence of
a bounded but unknown perturbation. Indeed,
given that uav (t) [0, 1], the integral term in
(12) is a positive term, bounded above by T .
Nevertheless, the integral term is not fully known
until the instant of time tk + T while the feedback
control (e(tk )) needs to be decided upon, and
act, at time t = tk on the basis of the sampled
value of the encoding error e(tk ). To this respect,
we have the following theorem:
Theorem 3. The duty ratio function
1
for e
1
(e) = (e) for 0 < e < (13)
0 for e 0
drives the trajectories of the encoding error signal
e(t) of the PWM based modulator (9), to
converge, from any initial value e(t0 ), towards the
interior of the ultimate bounding interval [0, ] in
finite time, th , provided T and satisfy: T < 2 .
The proof is carried out considering the following
and noting that outside the interval [0, ], the
Lyapunov function is strictly decreasing along the
controlled trajectories.
Finally, when 0 < e(tk ) < , we have, in
accordance to (12) and (13), that
  Z tk +T
T
e(tk + T ) = 1 e(tk ) + uav ()d
tk
(14)
For stability 0 < T / < 2. It is easy to see
that inside [0, ] the trajectories remain upper and
lower bounded, respectively, by and 0.
For the particular proposed duty ratio feedback
function (13) the above averaging result also
points directly to the high-gain equivalence of
PWM controlled devices under infinite frequency
switchings and saturating duty ratio feedback
specifications, such as that given by the prescrip-
tion (13). Indeed, a high gain, infinite switching
frequency, or average, version of the mod-
ulator (9),(13) reads as follows
e = uav (t) u
1 for e >
1
u = sat (e) = e for e [0, ] (15)
0 for e < 0
The high gain modulation also represents
a soft switch approximation to the average
the Lyapunov function candidate: V (e) = 12 e2 ,
it is easy to establish that the trajectories of
the modulator encoding error e in (15) remain
bounded in the interval [0, ]. Indeed, V (e) =
ee < 0 for e / [0, ]. We summarize the findings
next.
Theorem 4. Under ideal encoding conditions, im-
plying infinite switching frequency, if the duty
ratio function (e) degenerates into the switch
position function = 12 (1 + sign(e)) by letting
= 0 in (13), then, the duty ratio and the
input signal uav perfectly coincide in an equivalent uav R e 1 u
control sense. + 0
e
u

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0
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2554.

av 0.6

0.5

PWM uav(t), uav(t)
control input signals

2 0.4
0:0150 + ks2s1:74+k(s+k1s+k3) 0 0:1803 0.3
Modulator 0.2

Heating 0.1

0
system 0.1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
time (sec)

u(t) {0,1}
switched control input

1.5

Fig. 1. Average fractional GPI feedback control 1

0.5
scheme with switched PWM based 0

modulator implementation 0.5

1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
time (sec)

Fig. 5. Average control input, nominal control in-

put and switched input for -modulation-
PWM controlled system