  This doctoral thesis develops new methods for set-based state estimation and
active fault diagnosis (AFD) of (i) nonlinear discrete-time systems, (ii)
discrete-time nonlinear systems whose trajectories satisfy nonlinear equality
constraints (called invariants), (iii) linear descriptor systems, and (iv)
joint state and parameter estimation of nonlinear descriptor systems. Set-based
estimation aims to compute tight enclosures of the possible system states in
each time step subject to unknown-but-bounded uncertainties. To address this
issue, the present doctoral thesis proposes new methods for efficiently
propagating constrained zonotopes (CZs) through nonlinear mappings. Besides,
this thesis improves the standard prediction-update framework for systems with
invariants using new algorithms for refining CZs based on nonlinear
constraints. In addition, this thesis introduces a new approach for set-based
AFD of a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems. An affine parametrization of
the reachable sets is obtained for the design of an optimal input for set-based
AFD. In addition, this thesis presents new methods based on CZs for set-valued
state estimation and AFD of linear descriptor systems. Linear static
constraints on the state variables can be directly incorporated into CZs.
Moreover, this thesis proposes a new representation for unbounded sets based on
zonotopes, which allows to develop methods for state estimation and AFD also of
unstable linear descriptor systems, without the knowledge of an enclosure of
all the trajectories of the system. This thesis also develops a new method for
set-based joint state and parameter estimation of nonlinear descriptor systems
using CZs in a unified framework. Lastly, this manuscript applies the proposed
set-based state estimation and AFD methods using CZs to unmanned aerial
vehicles, water distribution networks, and a lithium-ion cell.
