Application of improved model-free adaptive control in an industrial oiler system

For a utility boiler to achieve good performance, dynamic variables such as drum level, steam temperature, water level of the drum, and others must be controlled. Based on operating requirements and the analysis of the characteristics of an industrial boiler, a complete control scheme for a boiler should be designed. Specifically, due to the typical nonlinear and coupled characteristics of the outlet pressure of a boiler, an improved model-free adaptive control (IMFAC) method is used to maintain it at the appropriate values. The automatic control system is realized using the DCS of SIMATIC PCS 7 Box. Detailed comparisons between IMFAC and the traditional PID control demonstrate the practicability and robustness of the IMFAC control scheme.