Experimental testing of flexible recipe control based on a hybrid model

Flexible recipe control is aimed at improving the performance of batch proc esses by changing the recipe parameters. Compensation is effected with the aid of the process model and optimisation. This strategy was used for the q uality control of an industrial process in TiO2 pigment production. The con trol algorithm was based on a hybrid model in order to use all the informat ion about the process (knowledge, data, experience) and to design the model from a small number of real-plant experiments. When testing on the real pr ocess the algorithm was able to move the process output closer to the desir ed value. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.