Similarities of Model Predictive Control and Constrained Direct Inverse

To reach an acceptable controller strategy and tuning it is important to state what is considered “good”. To do so one can set up a closed-loop specification or formulate an optimal control problem. It is an interesting question, if the two can be equivalent or not. In this article two controller strategies, model predictive control (MPC) and constrained direct inversion (CDI) are compared in controlling the model of a pilot-scale water heater. Simulation experiments show that the two methods are similar, if the manipulator movements are not punished much in MPC, and they act practically the same when a filtered reference signal is applied. Even if the same model is used, it is still important to choose tuning parameters appropriately to achieve similar results in both strategies. CDI uses an analytic approach, while MPC uses numeric optimization, thus CDI is more computationally efficient, and can be used either as a standalone controller or to supplement numeric optimization.

Model-Based Split-Range Algorithm for the Temperature Control of a Batch Reactor

In the manufacturing processes of high value-added products in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical polymer and food industry, insufficient control might produce off-grade products. This can cause significant financial losses, or in the pharmaceutical industry, it can result in an unusable batch. In these industries, batch reactors are commonly used, the control of which is essentially a problem of temperature control. In the industry, an increasing number of heating-cooling systems utilising three different temperature levels can be found, which are advantageous from an economic point of view. However, it makes the control more complicated. This paper presents a split-range designing technique using the model of the controlled system with the aim to design a split-range algorithm more specific to the actual sys- tem. The algorithm described provides high control performance when using it with classical PID-based cascade temperature control of jacketed batch reactors;however, it can be used with or as part of other types of controllers, for ex- ample, model-based temperature controllers. The algorithm can be used in the case of systems where only two as well as where three temperature levels are used for temperature control. Besides the switching between the modes of opera- tion and calculating the value of the manipulated variable, one of the most important functions of the split-range algo- rithm is to keep the sign of the gain of the controlled system unchanged. However, with a more system-specific split-range solution, not only can the sign of the gain be kept unchanged, but the gain can also be constant or less de- pendent on the state of the system. Using this solution, the design of the PID controller becomes simpler and can be implemented in existing systems without serious changes.

Three-Level Control of a Distillation Column

In this simulation study the operation of conventional distillation column (column with one feed and two products) was investigated with the application of AspenPlus DynamicsTM software. Control structures of the column which separate a two-component mixture were studied. The aim of our investigations was to discover dynamic and steady-state effects of heating and cooling on tray temperatures. The relationship of the tray temperatures and the purity of products were also identified. Based on the identified relationships a three level hierarchical control structure was developed. On the lowest level of the hierarchy there are the local controllers of heating and cooling. On the middle level of the control hierarchy the process variables are two tray temperatures and the output of the controllers is the set point of local controllers. On the top level of the control hierarchy the purity of the products are controlled over by manipulating the set point of the temperature controllers. This paper presents the functions of the control hierarchies and the middle level of the control hierarchy was analyzed in detail.