Non-linear controllers for a heat exchanger

Abstract A model reference non-linear controller with PID actions is proposed for temperature control of process fluid in a fluid-fluid heat exchanger. The performance of the proposed controller is evaluated by simulation both for regulatory and servo problems. The present system is an example of a system with a relative order of two. The performance of the present control system is compared with that of a partially linearized controller and also with a conventional PI controller. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the present controller and its robustness to modelling errors and disturbances.