UC San Diego

In this dissertation we develop systematic procedures for the control and analysis of general nonlinear systems with delays and of nonlinear PDE systems. We design predictor feedback laws (i.e., feedback laws that use the future, rather than the current state of the system) for the compensation of delays (i.e., after the control signal reaches the system for the first time, the system behaves as there were no delay at all) that can be time-varying or state-dependent, on the input and on the state of nonlinear systems. We also provide designs of predictor feedback laws for linear systems with constant distributed delays and known or unknown plant parameters, and for linear systems with simultaneous known or unknown constant delays on the input and the state. Moreover, we introduce infinite-dimensional backstepping transformations for each particular problem, which enables us to construct Lyapunov -Krasovskii functionals. With the available Lyapunov- Krasovskii functionals we study stability, as well as, robustness of our control laws to plant uncertainties. We deal with coupled PDE-ODE systems. We consider nonlinear systems with wave actuator dynamics, for which we design a predictor inspired feedback law. We study stability of the closed-loop system either by constructing Lyapunov functionals, or using arguments of explicit solutions. We also consider linear systems with distributed actuator and sensor dynamics governed by diffusion or wave PDEs, for which we design stabilizing feedback laws. We study stability of the closed-loop systems using Lyapunov functionals that we construct with the introduction of infinite-dimensional transformations of forwarding type. Finally, we develop a control design methodology for coupled nonlinear first-order hyperbolic PDEs through an application to automotive catalysts