Decentralized optimization, with application to multiple aircraft coordination

• Published in: Proceedings of the 41st IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2002 Vol. 1; pp. 1147 - 1155 vol.1
• Main Authors: Inalhan, G., Stipanovic, D.M., Tomlin, C.J.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 2002
• Subjects: Aerospace control; Aircraft; Control systems; Cost function; Distributed computing; Mathematical model; Optimization methods; Unmanned aerial vehicles; USA Councils; Vehicle dynamics
• ISBN: 0780375165; 9780780375161
• ISSN: 0191-2216
• DOI: 10.1109/CDC.2002.1184667

We present a decentralized optimization method for solving the coordination problem of interconnected nonlinear discrete-time dynamic systems with multiple decision makers. The optimization framework embeds the inherent structure in which each decision maker has a mathematical model that captures only the local dynamics and the associated interconnecting global constraints. A globally convergent algorithm based on sequential local optimizations is presented. Under assumptions of differentiability and linear independence constraint qualification, we show that the method results in global convergence to /spl epsiv/-feasible Nash solutions that satisfy the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker necessary conditions for Pareto-optimality. We apply this methodology to a multiple unmanned air vehicle system, with kinematic aircraft models, coordinating in a common airspace with separation requirements between the aircraft.