Advanced Robust MPC Design of a Heat Exchanger: Modeling and Experiments

Abstract Optimal control of heat exchangers represents a challenging task. The paper presents an advanced robust MPC design for a laboratory heat exchanger. Particularly, the mathematical model of the counter-current heat exchanger was identified using experimentally measured data. The influence of measurement noise was reduced using the Hebky filter. Robust MPC was designed to handle complex behaviour of the heat exchanger. To ensure the offset-free set-point tracking, the robust MPC with integral action was implemented. Moreover, the robust MPC was designed subject to the non-symmetric constraints of the control input. The experimental validation of the closed-loop control performance confirmed the satisfaction of the control goals.