The proposed activity aims at providing competences on Matlab/Simulink as a tool for control systems analysis and design, focusing, in particular, on the Control Systems Toolbox. To this aim, the following application-oriented examples will be considered:

1. Modelling and control of automotive suspensions: the problem of active suspension control in cars will be considered. In particular, the following steps will be undertaken: problem description and requirements definition; modelling of the suspension-equipped vehicle dynamics and implementation of a simulation model in Simulink; dynamic analysis and controller design; implementation of the controller in Simulink and performance analysis and validation of the closed-loop system behaviour in the simulation environment.

2. Modelling and control of a crane: this session will address the problem of controlling the motion of a crane made of a cart that moves on a track over a horizontal plane with an underlying hinged arm free to rotate. In particular, the following steps will be undertaken: problem formulation and implementation of a simulation model of the nonlinear crane dynamics in Simulink; dynamic analysis and controller design based on the linearized model; implementation of the controller in Simulink and performance analysis and validation of the closed-loop system behaviour in the simulation environment, both using the linearized and nonlinear models.

For the final test, the students will be given the description of a control problem based on a real application domain, which they will have to analyse following the same steps seen during the course (model definition, simulator implementation, controller design and implementation, and closed-loop performance evaluation), working in small groups of at most 3 students each. Each group will be asked to hand in a short report on their project, together with the Matlab/Simulink code. The report will have to include specific simulation results on the performance of both the model of the system and the designed control system. Based on the overall number of projects (tentatively if less than 10), the students will be granted the opportunity to present their work to the instructors, and possibly to fellow students.

Participants will acquire competences that will be useful when attending advanced control systems courses in the Bachelor and Master of Science Study Programmes in Automation and Control Engineering, and also in their professional activities as control engineers.

dal November 2022 a December 2022