NSF/NIST workshop - Process measurement and control: Industry needs - 6-8 March 1998 - Sheraton New Orleans Hotel - Workshop on identification and adaptive control

Model predictive control (MPC) is currently the most widely implemented adv anced process control technology for petroleum refineries and chemical plan ts. Based on the present state of the art in theory and practice, MPC works well for processes operating over a narrow range of conditions. However, p rocesses frequently have to operate over a wide range of conditions, for re asons such as varying feedstocks, fluctuating markets for products and raw materials, large process disturbances, and equipment wear. Unsatisfactory M PC performance over widely ranging operating conditions may result in proce ss downtime, environmental and safety risks, and waste of resources, with s ubstantial economic losses. Therefore, there is a need for flexible MPC sys tems that perform well over a wide range of process operating conditions. W hile the inner complexity of such (next-generation) MPC systems may be high (to realize the sought improvements in control performance), the complexit y of the design, operation, and maintenance of such systems by process engi neers and operators should be low. The development and implementation of fl exible MPC systems will almost certainly be facilitated by the future avail ability of predictably even more powerful computers and communication hardw are. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.