MODEL-BASED CONTROL USING MECHANISTIC, NONLINEAR MODELS

The need for optimal control is increasing due to more emphasis on min imizing energy use and making products with less variability. We have seen significant energy savings and decreases in product variability u sing mechanistic, nonlinear models for control of industrial distillat ion columns. Steady state and dynamic models of this type could play a n important role in the future of model predictive control because thi s type controller works well when process gains change significantly f rom changes in operating conditions or from nonstationary behavior. Th is approach also does not require process perturbation tests.