Article ID: 24006733
This paper addresses the hierarchically decentralized disturbance observer-based controller (HD-DOBC) for large-scale dynamical systems. Particularly, this paper focuses on a control configuration that employs lower-to-upper aggregation in the physical-space, and upper-to-lower distribution in the cyber-space. To simplify the design process, a role-sharing mechanism between global and local controllers is introduced through a “global/local shared model set,” which is employed at both layers. This approach establishes a fairly general framework and derives a procedure that enabling global and local controllers to be designed using standard robust control techniques. Importantly, the complexity of system design remains independent of the number of local agents. The proposed approach was validated via a dual-propeller testbench, where the global objective was yaw angle control, and the local objective was propeller speed control. Leveraging the shared model set, the global/local trade-off was experimentally examined. Test results demonstrate that, even under strong wind conditions, the HD-DOBC reduces the attitude tracking error by 33% compared to a conventional control system that applies DOB only in the upper-layer.
