New modeling and control challenges inspired by switched electronic systems: Intriguing applications for averaging, model predictive control and complementarity

The increased efficiency and quality constraints imposed on the electrical energy have determined a renewed research interest in the study of formal approaches for the analysis and control of power electronics systems. These systems can be viewed as networks composed by semiconductor switches (e.g. thyristors, BJTs, MOSFETs, diodes), along with electrical passive elements (e.g. inductors, capacitors, resistors) and current/voltage sources. The peculiarities of the corresponding operating conditions justify, within the control research community, the specific classification of switched electronic systems. Indeed, idealized switched models of power converters introduce problems not commonly encountered when analyzing generic switched models or non-switched electrical networks. For instance, the presence of diodes in power converters can lead to state dependent commutations of the switched model which are not directly controllable. In that sense the analysis of switched electronic systems can represent a source for new ideas and benchmarks also for the more general class of switched and hybrid systems. The main goal of the tutorial session is to propose, through practical examples and applications, contributions on recent advances regarding modeling and control techniques for switched electronic systems in the specific areas of Averaging, Model Predictive Control and Complementarity Systems.