  A plug-and-play model predictive control (PnP MPC) scheme is proposed for
varying-topology networks to track piecewise constant references. The proposed
scheme allows subsystems to occasionally join and leave the network while
preserving asymptotic stability and recursive feasibility and comprises two
main phases. In the redesign phase, passivity-based control is used to ensure
that asymptotic stability of the network is preserved. In the transition phase,
reconfigurable terminal ingredients are used to ensure that the distributed MPC
problem is initially feasible after the PnP operation. The efficacy of the
proposed scheme is evaluated by applying it to a network of mass-spring-damper
systems and comparing it to a benchmark scheme. It is found that the novel
redesign phase results in faster PnP operations, whereas the novel transition
phase increases flexibility by accepting more requests.
