A harmonic balance approach to robust neural control of MIMO nonlinear processes applied to a distillation column

Abstract Robust stability and performance are the two most basic features of feedback control process. The harmonic balance analysis based on the describing function technique enables to analyze the stability of limit cycles arising from a closed loop control process operating over nonlinear plants. In this work a robust stability analysis based on the harmonic balance is presented and applied to a neural network controller in series with a dynamic multivariable nonlinear plant under generic Lur’e configuration. The neural controller is replaced by its sinusoidal input describing function while a linearized model is derived to represent the nonlinear plant dynamics. The uncertainty induced by the high harmonics effect for the neural controller, together with the neglected nonlinear dynamics due to plant linearization are incorporated in the robustness analysis as structured norm bounded uncertainties. Stability and robustness conditions for the neural closed loop control system are discussed using the harmonic balance equation together with the structured singular values of the uncertainty. The application to a multivariable binary distillation column under feedback neurocontrol illustrates the usefulness of the robustness approach here developed to predict the absence of limit cycles, which of course is subject to the usual restrictions of the describing function method.