Initial tuning of predictive controllers by reverse engineering

This paper demonstrates a method for finding the cost function and state observer to be used in model predictive control (MPC) so that when constraints are inactive a pre-existing low order controller is reproduced. The MPC controller thereby inherits its desirable properties. This can be used as a baseline for further tuning. The available degrees of design freedom are explored, in order to facilitate, as appropriate, exploitation of constraint-handling, offset-free and redundancy management capabilities of MPC.