Adaptive regulation of an highly uncertain process: ARC welding temperature

This paper concerns the application of adaptive predictive control for regulating arc welding trailing centerline temperature. Parallel integral action is used for achieving zero steady-state tracking error. As shown by experimental results, the process presents an high level of uncertainty, being impossible to stabilise all possible plant dynamics outcomes with a single linear, time i. ii van™ ant, controller. For tackling the high level of uncertainty in the process the MUSMAR adaptive algorithm, relying on separate estimation of predictive models is used. Experimental results are presented, forming the core of the paper. The possible convergence points of the adaptive controller together with the parallel integral action are characterized through the ODE method for the analysis of stochastic algorithms together with singular perturbation analysis.