Improving the robustness of generalized predictive controllers. Application to a heat exchanger

This paper presents the application of a generalized predictive controller (gpc) to a heat exchanger pilot plant. The tuning of the GPC parameters is done in order to improve robustness and to attempt some dynamical specifications. The method makes use of the fact that a generalized predictive controller (gpc), for plants whose behaviour can be described in terms of a static gain, time constant and effective dead time, is equivalent to an optimal predictor plus a pi controller. Simulation and experimental results concerning the influence of the controller parameters on the closed loop robustness are presented.