Performance-oriented model learning for data-driven MPC design

Abstract: Model Predictive Control (MPC) is an enabling technology in applications requiring controlling physical processes in an optimized way under constraints on inputs and outputs. However, in MPC closed-loop performance is pushed to the limits only if the plant under control is accurately modeled; otherwise, robust architectures need to be employed, at the price of reduced performance due to worst-case conservative assumptions. In this paper, instead of adapting the controller to handle uncertainty, we adapt the learning procedure so that the prediction model is selected to provide the best closed-loop performance. More specifically, we apply for the first time the above "identification for control" rationale to hierarchical MPC using data-driven methods and Bayesian optimization.