Model Predictive Control of a Distributed-Parameter Process Employing a Moving Radiant Actuator

Many industrial processes employ radiation-based actuators with two or more manipulated variables. Moving radiant actuators, in particular, act on a distributed parameter process where the velocity of the actuator is an additional manipulated variable with its own constraints. In this paper, a model predictive control (MPC) scheme is developed for a distributed-parameter process employing such a moving radiant actuator. The designed MPC controller uses an online optimization approach to determine both the radiant intensity and velocity of the moving actuator based on a linearized process model and a distributed state/parameter estimator. A particular source-model reduction that enables the approach is outlined. The proposed strategy is then demonstrated for a radiative curing process considering different control scenarios with the objective of achieving desired cure level uniformity and minimizing process energy use.