Control design and implementation in continuous steel casting

Accurate control of the mold level in continuous casting is believed to be a key factor in improving the quality of the cast product. This paper describes an application of advanced control to this problem leading to a complete recommissioning of the mold level control system. Careful physical modeling identified smooth as well as nonsmooth nonlinearities in the process. Three different control strategies were implemented and evaluated. The article also describes some of the steps necessary to bring advanced control to practical reality, including safety, rapid prototyping, online tuning, and economic evaluation