Nonlinear Model-based Process Control: Applications in Petroleum Refining

The series Advances in Industrial Control aims to report and encourage technology transfer in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. New theory, new controllers, actuators, sensors, new industrial processes, computer methods, new applications, new philosophies … , new challenges. Much of this development work resides in industrial reports, feasibility study papers and the reports of advanced collaborative projects. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of such new work in all aspects of industrial control for wider and rapid dissemination. The last decade has seen considerable interest in reviving the fortunes of non linear control. In contrast to the approaches of the 60S, 70S and 80S a very pragmatic agenda for non-linear control is being pursued using the model-based predictive control paradigm. This text by R. Ansari and M. Tade gives an excellent synthesis of this new direction. Two strengths emphasized by the text are: (i) four applications found in refinery processes are used to give the text a firm practical continuity; (ii) a non-linear model-based control architecture is used to give the method a coherent theoretical framework.