Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

Project began in 2010 and was completed in 2013.

This project is motivated by the potential of Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation (ID-HIL) to play a key enabling role in geographically-dispersed concurrent systems engineering. The vision is that integrating different HIL setups over the Internet can allow the Army to explore different configurations of vehicle systems with significantly smaller resource investments than full hardware integration would require. This can significantly improve the speed with which the Army designs new vehicle systems, and also the effectiveness with which it compares different hardware options (e.g., different engines) for a given vehicle platform.

Realization of the ID-HIL concept presents unique research challenges when attempting to guarantee stability and transparency under the adverse factors imposed by the Internet. The most-widely known negative factors are the Internet’s delay, jitter, and loss. However, as our recent efforts have uncovered, the manner in which the numerical simulation is distributed and the location of coupling points are other significant factors that affect stability and transparency and thus need to be considered in an ID-HIL framework. Understanding the impact of these factors on the stability and transparency of an ID-HIL setup and applying control-theoretic methods to mitigate their adverse effects is the overarching goal of this project.

Publications & Presentations:

• X. Ge, M. J. Brudnak, J. L. Stein, and T. Ersal, “A Norm Optimal Iterative Learning Control Framework towards Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation,” 2014 American Control Conference (ACC), abstract in conference site / PDF copy
• T. Ersal, M. J. Brudnak, A. Salvi, Y. Kim, J. B. Siegel, and J. L. Stein, “An iterative learning control approach to improving fidelity in internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulation,” Journal of Dynamic Systems Measurement and Control, accepted June 1 2014. doi:10.1115/1.4027868
• Y. Kim, A. Salvi, A. Stefanopoulou, and T. Ersal, “Reducing Soot Emissions in a Diesel Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle using a Power Rate Constraint Map,” IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology,vol.PP, no.99, pp.1,1. doi:10.1109/TVT.2014.2321346
• Y. Kim, A. Salvi, J. B. Siegel, Z. Filipi, A. Stefanopoulou, and T. Ersal, “Hardware-in-the-Loop Validation of a Frequency Domain Power Distribution Strategy for Series Hybrid Powertrains,” Control Engineering Practice, Volume 29, August 2014, Pages 277-286, ISSN 0967-0661, doi:10.1016/j.conengprac.2014.04.008
• A. Tandon, T. Ersal, M. J. Brudnak, and J. L. Stein, “An observer based framework for internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulations,” In proceedings 2013 Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, DSCC2013-3878 pp. V002T21A004
  doi:10.1115/DSCC2013-3878
• T. Ersal, R. B. Gillespie, M. Brudnak, J. L. Stein, and H. K. Fathy, “Effect of Coupling Point Selection on Distortion in Internet-distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation,” International Journal of Vehicle Design, vol. 61, no. 1-4, pp. 67-85, 2013.
  doi:10.1504/IJVD.2013.050840
• T. Ersal, M. Brudnak, and J. L. Stein, “The evolution and future of Internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulation from a dynamic systems and control perspective,” Semi-plenary presentation, ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Oct 17, 2012.
• T. Ersal, M. Brudnak, and J. L. Stein, “An iterative learning control approach to improving fidelity in internet-distributed hardware-in-theloop simulation,“ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2012. (Semi-plenary paper award) doi:10.1115/DSCC2012-MOVIC2012-8677
• Y. Kim, T. Ersal, A. Salvi, and A. Stefanopoulou, “Engine-in-the-loop validation of a frequency domain power distribution strategy for series hybrid powertrains,” IFAC Workshop on Engine and Powertrain Control, Simulation and Modeling, Rueil-Malmaison, France, 2012.
• T. Ersal, M. Brudnak, Y. Kim, A. Salvi, J. B. Siegel, A. Stefanopoulou, J. L. Stein, and Z. Filipi, “A method to achieve high fidelity in internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulation,” NDIA Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium, Troy, MI, 2012.
• Ersal, T.; Brudnak, M.; Stein, J.L.; Fathy, H.K.; , “Statistical Transparency Analysis in Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation,” Mechatronics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on , vol.17, no.2, pp.228-238, April 2012.
  doi:10.1109/TMECH.2010.2095024
• Ersal, T.; Gillespie, R.B.; Brudnak, M.; Stein, J.L.; Fathy, H.K.; , “Effect of coupling point selection on distortion in Internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulation,” American Control Conference (ACC), 2011 , vol., no., pp.3096-3103, June 29 2011-July 1 2011. doi:10.1109/ACC.2011.5990934 (Best paper in session award)
• T. Ersal, M. Brudnak, A. Salvi, J. L. Stein, Z. Filipi, and H. K. Fathy, “Development and model-based transparency analysis of an internet-distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform,” Mechatronics, Volume 21, Issue 1, February 2011, Pages 22-29. doi:10.1016/j.mechatronics.2010.08.002