ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF A HEAT EXCHANGER USING FUNCTION BLOCKS

Many adaptive control strategies require on-line identification, which implies that a digital computer is needed for implementation. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to demonstrate that adaptive process control can be accomplished by combining relatively simple digital control algorithms called function blocks. These function blocks are easily implemented in low-level microprocessor-based digital controllers without requiring a computer. The feasibility of these methods is illustrated through an industrial heat exchanger control example, and the performance benefits of this adaptive approach are illustrated by means of simulation results.