Papers by Gianni Bianchini
Energies, 2025
This paper deals with the optimal scheduling of prosumers equipped with energy storage facilities... more This paper deals with the optimal scheduling of prosumers equipped with energy storage facilities within renewable energy communities, and proposes a novel strategy for optimizing storage usage within a price-volume demand response framework. The problem is formulated as a scalable, low-complexity mixed-integer linear program. Furthermore, a heuristic procedure is introduced to ensure redistribution of demand response rewards among participants according to their contribution to achieving demand-response goals. The proposed approach is designed to enhance the benefits for prosumers operating within a community compared to running independently.
IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2025
This letter presents a robust output feedback variable-horizon model predictive control scheme fo... more This letter presents a robust output feedback variable-horizon model predictive control scheme for systems in which the state is not directly available but is estimated from noisy measurements. The control scheme is designed to intercept a moving target with a known trajectory while ensuring constraint satisfaction, recursive feasibility and finite-time convergence in the presence of bounded process disturbances and measurement noise. A key novelty of the proposed approach is the online adaptation of the terminal set, which reduces conservatism and improves performance in terms of final distance to the target, compared to existing tube-based methods. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated on a numerical example concerning an orbital rendezvous maneuver of a spacecraft with an uncontrolled rotating object.
Automatica, 2025
This paper presents a novel robust variable-horizon model predictive control scheme designed to i... more This paper presents a novel robust variable-horizon model predictive control scheme designed to intercept a target moving along a known trajectory, in finite time. Linear discrete-time systems affected by bounded process disturbances are considered and a tube-based MPC approach is adopted. The main contribution is an adaptive mechanism for choosing the terminal constraint set sequence in the MPC optimization problem. This mechanism is designed to ensure recursive feasibility while promoting minimization of the final distance to the target. Finite-time convergence of the proposed control scheme is proven. In order to evaluate its effectiveness, the designed control law is tested through numerical simulations, including a case study involving orbital rendezvous of a satellite with a tumbling object. The results indicate a significant reduction in conservatism compared to existing state-of-the-art methods using a fixed terminal set sequence.
IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2025
This paper considers an islanded system consisting of a photovoltaic source connected to a batter... more This paper considers an islanded system consisting of a photovoltaic source connected to a battery storage through power converters, subject to a time varying load. An innovative charging architecture composed of two DC-DC converters and a super-capacitor is considered, and a novel modeling and optimal control framework is proposed with the aim of optimizing battery charge/discharge cycles while satisfying given generation and load profiles. Nonlinearities and nonconvex constraints arising from the electrical models are suitably treated in order to devise an optimal control problem involving linear dynamics that can be solved to the global optimum via mixed-integer linear programming. Numerical simulations based on a real data set show the effectiveness of the proposed approach as well as its computational feasibility.
Energy, 2025
Within the context of renewable energy communities, this paper focuses on optimal operation of pr... more Within the context of renewable energy communities, this paper focuses on optimal operation of producers equipped with energy storage systems in the presence of demand response. A novel strategy for optimal scheduling of the storage systems of the community members under pricevolume demand response programs, is devised. The underlying optimization problem is designed as a low-complexity mixed-integer linear program that scales well with the community size. An algorithm for redistributing the demand response rewards corresponding to the optimal solution is also developed in order to guarantee fairness among participants. The proposed approach is evaluated using two different objective functions through extensive numerical simulations. In all cases, economic benefits are demonstrated for producers that participate in a community rather than operating independently.
Energy and Buildings, 2024
The advancement of renewable and sustainable energy generation technologies has been driven by en... more The advancement of renewable and sustainable energy generation technologies has been driven by environmentrelated issues, energy independence, and high costs of fossil fuels. Building-integrated photovoltaic systems have
been demonstrated to be a viable technology for the generation of renewable power, with the potential to assist
buildings in meeting their energy demands. This work reviews the current status of novel PV technologies,
including bifacial solar cells and semi-transparent solar cells. This review discusses the various constructions of
PV technologies, recent advances in these products, the influence of key design factors on electrical and thermal
performance, and their potential in the design of energy-efficient smart buildings. The attention is focused on
bifacial and semi-transparent PV systems, given the high level of interest of the scientific community in their
current and potential applications.
Focus is also devoted to the analysis of the electrical, optical, and thermal modeling procedures developed for
sizing, designing, and integrating photovoltaics into larger building simulations. The development of these
models has a positive impact on the implementation of next-generation smart buildings. The latest innovative
developments and key issues in the application of bifacial PV solutions in buildings are also summarized and
analyzed. Special attention is paid to rear side electrical performance, which can be evaluated by means of
illuminance/optical backside modeling. Finally, energy management and control of PV-equipped buildings via
both model-based and data-driven approaches are discussed, as well as the integration of electric storage systems
in a multi-building context.
Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, 2024
This paper presents a learning algorithm for tuning the parameters of a family of stabilizing non... more This paper presents a learning algorithm for tuning the parameters of a family of stabilizing nonlinear controllers for orbital tracking, in order to minimize a cost function which combines convergence time and fuel consumption. The main feature of the proposed approach is that it achieves performance optimization while guaranteeing closed-loop stability of the resulting controller. This property is exploited also to restrict the class of admissible controllers and hence to expedite the training process. The learning algorithm is tested on three case studies: two different orbital transfers and a rendezvous mission. Numerical simulations show that the learned control parameters lead to a significant improvement of the considered performance measure.
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2022
In this paper, the trajectory planning problem for autonomous rendezvous and docking between a co... more In this paper, the trajectory planning problem for autonomous rendezvous and docking between a controlled spacecraft and a tumbling target is addressed. The use of a variable planning horizon is proposed in order to construct an appropriate maneuver plan, within an optimization-based framework. The involved optimization problem is nonconvex and features nonlinear constraints. The main contribution is to show that such problem can be tackled effectively by solving a finite number of linear programs. To this aim, a specifically conceived horizon search algorithm is employed in combination with a polytopic constraint approximation technique. The resulting guidance scheme provides the ability to identify favorable docking configurations, by exploiting the time-varying nature of the optimization problem endpoint. Simulation results involving the capture of the nonoperational EnviSat spacecraft indicate that the method is able to generate optimal trajectories at a fraction of the computational cost incurred by a state-of-the-art nonlinear solver.
IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 2021
Model Predictive Control is receiving increasing attention in space applications, as a key techno... more Model Predictive Control is receiving increasing attention in space applications, as a key technology for enhancing autonomy of the flight control system. Sum-of-norms formulations are specifically suited to this context, because they allow to optimize meaningful performance figures and to promote control sparsity. This paper presents a sum-of-norms model predictive control scheme for linear periodically time-varying systems. Closed-loop stability is proven by suitably defining periodic sequences of terminal weights and terminal sets. The proposed solution is applied to a rendezvous case study involving periodic dynamics due to geopotential effects and solar eclipses.
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 2021
The optimization of low-thrust, multi-revolution orbit transfer trajectories is often
regarded as... more The optimization of low-thrust, multi-revolution orbit transfer trajectories is often
regarded as a difficult problem in modern astrodynamics. In this paper, a flexible
and computationally efficient approach is presented for the optimization of low-
thrust orbit transfers under eclipse constraints. The proposed approach leverages
a new dynamic model of the orbital motion and a Lyapunov-based initial guess
generation scheme that is very easy to tune. A multi-objective, single-phase for-
mulation of the optimal control problem is devised, which provides a convenient
way to trade off fuel consumption and time of flight. A distinctive feature of such
a formulation is that it requires no prior information about the structure of the
optimal solution. Simulation results for two benchmark orbit transfer scenarios
indicate that minimum-time, minimum-fuel and mixed time/fuel-optimal instances
of the control problem can be readily solved via direct collocation, while incurring
a significantly lower computational demand with respect to existing techniques.
IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2021
This paper addresses L2-stability analysis of discrete-time continuous piecewise affine systems d... more This paper addresses L2-stability analysis of discrete-time continuous piecewise affine systems described in input-output form by linear combinations of basis piecewise affine functions. The proposed approach exploits an equivalent representation of these systems as the feedback interconnection of a linear system and a diagonal static block with repeated scalar nonlinearity. This representation enables the use of analysis results for systems with repeated nonlinearities based on integral quadratic constraints. This leads to a sufficient condition for L2-stability that can be checked via the solution of a single linear matrix inequality, whose dimension grows linearly with the number of basis piecewise affine functions defining the system. Numerical examples corroborate the proposed approach by providing a comparison with an alternative approach based on the computation of piecewise polynomial storage functions. Index Terms-Continuous piecewise affine systems, linear fractional representations, L2-stability analysis, linear matrix inequalities.
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2020
Electric propulsion is currently seen as a key enabling technology for space debris removal missi... more Electric propulsion is currently seen as a key enabling technology for space debris removal missions aimed at deorbiting multiple debris targets. This paper develops an autonomous onboard orbit control strategy tailored to these missions. The control problem is divided into four stages, involving a sequence of low-thrust orbital transfer and rendezvous maneuvers. A feedback control law is derived for each maneuvering stage, by exploiting Lyapunov-based and model predictive control techniques. The proposed design is able to account for mission-specific performance and safety requirements, while satisfying on-off constraints inherent to the propulsion technology. Simulation case studies of a multidebris removal mission demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, and support the viability of electric propulsion for such type of missions.
Automatica, 2019
This work deals with the problem of estimating a photovoltaic generation forecasting model in sce... more This work deals with the problem of estimating a photovoltaic generation forecasting model in scenarios where measurements of meteorological variables (i.e., solar irradiance and temperature) at the plant site are not available. A novel algorithm for the estimation of the parameters of the well-known PVUSA model of a photovoltaic plant is proposed. Such a method is characterized by a low computational complexity, and efficiently exploits only power generation measurements, a theoretical clear-sky irradiance model, and temperature forecasts provided by a meteorological service. The proposed method is validated on real data.
IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2019
This paper tackles spacecraft optimal control problems in which the cost function is defined by a... more This paper tackles spacecraft optimal control problems in which the cost function is defined by a sum of vector norms, in order to optimize fuel consumption while achieving sparse actuation. An MPC strategy is devised for such type of problems, accounting for different spacecraft maneuvering modes. Closed-loop stability is guaranteed by a conic Lyapunov function, which is employed as a terminal cost in the formulation. A systematic method to construct such function is presented. The proposed design is compared to a standard quadratic MPC scheme on a long-range rendezvous mission.
2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018
This paper presents a novel optimization-based passivity control algorithm for haptic-enabled bil... more This paper presents a novel optimization-based passivity control algorithm for haptic-enabled bilateral teleoperation systems involving multiple degrees of freedom. In particular, in the context of energy-bounding control, the contribution focuses on the implementation of a passivity layer for an existing time-domain scheme, ensuring optimal transparency of the interaction along subsets of the environment space which are preponderant for the given task, while preserving the energy bounds required for passivity. The involved optimization problem is convex and amenable to real-time implementation. The effectiveness of the proposed design is validated via an experiment performed on a virtual teleoperated environment.
2018 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2018
This paper presents a novel control algorithm for haptic-enabled bilateral teleoperation systems ... more This paper presents a novel control algorithm for haptic-enabled bilateral teleoperation systems involving several degrees of freedom. In particular, the contribution focuses on the implementation of a passivity layer for an established time domain scheme. The proposed approach aims at preserving transparency of interaction along subsets of the environment space which are preponderant for the given task, while guaranteeing the energy bounds required for passivity. The effectiveness of the proposed design is validated via an experiment performed on a virtual teleoperated environment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, 2017
The development of feedback control systems for autonomous orbital rendezvous is a key technologi... more The development of feedback control systems for autonomous orbital rendezvous is a key technological
challenge for next-generation space missions. This paper presents a new class of control laws for the orbital
rendezvous problem. The controllers belonging to this class are guaranteed to globally asymptotically stabilize the relative dynamics of two satellites in circular or elliptic orbits. The proposed design procedure builds on control techniques for nonlinear systems in cascade form, by exploiting the geometric properties
of the orbital element description of the satellite motion. A numerical simulation of a formation flying mission demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for long-range and low-thrust rendezvous operations.
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2018
2018 IEEE International Energy Conference (ENERGYCON), 2018
In the context of photovoltaic generation forecasting, we propose a method for the estimation of ... more In the context of photovoltaic generation forecasting, we propose a method for the estimation of the parameters of the well-known PVUSA model of a PV plant. This problem is addressed in the common scenario where on-site measurements of meteorological variables (i.e. solar irradiance and temperature) are not available. The proposed approach efficiently exploits only power generation measurements and relies on a set of tests to detect a clear-sky condition. The devised algorithm is characterized by very low computational effort. Experimental validation is presented and forecasting performance is evaluatedon real data.
Solar Energy, 2017
This paper presents a parametric model approach to address the problem of photovoltaic generation... more This paper presents a parametric model approach to address the problem of photovoltaic generation forecasting in a scenario where measurements of meteorological variables, i.e., solar irradiance and temperature, are not available at the plant site. This scenario is relevant to electricity network operation, when a large number of PV plants are deployed in the grid. The proposed method makes use of raw cloud cover data provided by a meteorological service combined with power generation measurements, and is particularly suitable in PV plant integration on a large-scale basis, due to low model complexity and computational efficiency. An extensive validation is performed using both simulated and real data.
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Papers by Gianni Bianchini
been demonstrated to be a viable technology for the generation of renewable power, with the potential to assist
buildings in meeting their energy demands. This work reviews the current status of novel PV technologies,
including bifacial solar cells and semi-transparent solar cells. This review discusses the various constructions of
PV technologies, recent advances in these products, the influence of key design factors on electrical and thermal
performance, and their potential in the design of energy-efficient smart buildings. The attention is focused on
bifacial and semi-transparent PV systems, given the high level of interest of the scientific community in their
current and potential applications.
Focus is also devoted to the analysis of the electrical, optical, and thermal modeling procedures developed for
sizing, designing, and integrating photovoltaics into larger building simulations. The development of these
models has a positive impact on the implementation of next-generation smart buildings. The latest innovative
developments and key issues in the application of bifacial PV solutions in buildings are also summarized and
analyzed. Special attention is paid to rear side electrical performance, which can be evaluated by means of
illuminance/optical backside modeling. Finally, energy management and control of PV-equipped buildings via
both model-based and data-driven approaches are discussed, as well as the integration of electric storage systems
in a multi-building context.
regarded as a difficult problem in modern astrodynamics. In this paper, a flexible
and computationally efficient approach is presented for the optimization of low-
thrust orbit transfers under eclipse constraints. The proposed approach leverages
a new dynamic model of the orbital motion and a Lyapunov-based initial guess
generation scheme that is very easy to tune. A multi-objective, single-phase for-
mulation of the optimal control problem is devised, which provides a convenient
way to trade off fuel consumption and time of flight. A distinctive feature of such
a formulation is that it requires no prior information about the structure of the
optimal solution. Simulation results for two benchmark orbit transfer scenarios
indicate that minimum-time, minimum-fuel and mixed time/fuel-optimal instances
of the control problem can be readily solved via direct collocation, while incurring
a significantly lower computational demand with respect to existing techniques.
challenge for next-generation space missions. This paper presents a new class of control laws for the orbital
rendezvous problem. The controllers belonging to this class are guaranteed to globally asymptotically stabilize the relative dynamics of two satellites in circular or elliptic orbits. The proposed design procedure builds on control techniques for nonlinear systems in cascade form, by exploiting the geometric properties
of the orbital element description of the satellite motion. A numerical simulation of a formation flying mission demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for long-range and low-thrust rendezvous operations.