Automatic Synthesis of Both the Topology and
Parameters for a Three-Lag Plant with a five-Second
Delay Using Genetic Programming
Real-World Applications of Evolutionary Computing, volume 1803 of LNCS, page 168--177. Edinburgh, Springer-Verlag, (17 April 2000)Abstract
This paper describes how the process of synthesizing
the design of both the topology and the numerical
parameter values (tuning) for a controller can be
automated by using genetic programming. Genetic
programming can be used to automatically make the
decisions concerning the total number of signal
processing blocks to be employed in a controller, the
type of each block, the topological interconnections
between the blocks, and the values of all parameters
for all blocks requiring parameters. In synthesizing
the design of controllers, genetic programming can
simultaneously optimize prespecified performance
metrics (such as minimizing the time required to bring
the plant output to the desired value), satisfy
time-domain constraints (such as overshoot and
disturbance rejection), and satisfy frequency domain
constraints. Evolutionary methods have the advantage of
not being encumbered by preconceptions that limit its
search to well-traveled paths. Genetic programming is
applied to an illustrative problem involving the design
of a controller for a three-lag plant with a
significant (five-second) time delay in the external
feedback from the plant to the controller. A delay in
the feedback makes the design of an effective
controller especially difficult.