Direct product quality control for energy efficient climate controlled transport of agro-material

A (model-based) Product Quality Controller is presented for climate controlled operations involving agro-material, such as storage and transport. This controller belongs to the class of Model Predictive Controllers and fits in a previously developed hierarchical control structure. The new Product Quality Controller rejects disturbances and tracks the product quality by means of the product responses respiration and fermentation. To achieve an energy efficient operation the presented controller is closely linked with the (existing) local controllers. Local optimisation on the level of these local controllers allows (controlled) high-frequent climate fluctuations. This results in significant energy savings. The Product Quality Controller and the energy efficient local controllers are implemented in small-scale and full-scale industrial case studies on controlled atmosphere-container transport of apples. This yields direct control of product quality and a significant reduction in energy consumption.