On the Well-Posedness of Dynamical Flow Networks With Feedback-Controlled Outflows

Abstract: We study the well-posedness of a class of dynamical flow network systems describing the dynamical mass balance among a finite number of cells exchanging flow of a commodity between themselves and with the external environment. Systems in the considered class are described as differential inclusions whereby the routing matrix is constant and the outflow from each cell in the network is limited by a control that is a Lipschitz continuous function of the state of the network. In many applications, such as queueing systems and traffic signal control, it is common that an empty queue can be allowed to have more outflow than the mass in the queue. While models for this scenario have previously been presented for open-loop outflow controls, this result ensures the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the network flow dynamics in the case Lipschitz continuous feedback controllers.