Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (PhD)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Advisor 1
Wayne Weaver
Committee Member 1
Gordon Parker
Committee Member 2
Shangyan Zou
Committee Member 3
Flavio Bezerra Costa
Abstract
This dissertation presents a unified adaptive and coordinated control architecture for multi-station centrifugal pump pipeline systems operating under dynamic hydraulic conditions. Local controller adaptability is achieved using a variable-forgetting-factor Recursive Least Squares (RLS) algorithm, which continuously estimates process parameters to adjust controller gains in real time. To prevent excessive effort and controller-induced instability, a reinforcement-learning supervisory layer based on Q-learning is implemented to determine optimal adaptation-activation policies.
For pipeline systems with multiple pump stations, a game-theoretic coordination layer is introduced to balance discharge-pressure contributions, minimize pressure oscillations, and improve energy distribution across geographically distributed assets. Cooperative and non-cooperative strategies are analyzed, and Nash equilibria are shown to support graceful degradation in the presence of communication loss.
Simulation results show significant reductions in steady-state error, improved transient recovery, and improved network pressure uniformity compared with conventional PI control. The unified framework provides a scalable, resilient approach to intelligent pipeline operation and lays the foundation for further research into learning-enabled, multi-agent, autonomous industrial control systems.
Recommended Citation
Brattley, David, "Multilayer Adaptive and Cooperative Control of Pipeline Systems: From Local Loop Adaptation to Distributed Game-Theoretic Coordination", Open Access Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2026.