NONLINEAR HEAT EXCHANGER CONTROL THROUGH THE USE OF PARTIALLY LINEARIZED CONTROL VARIABLES

Abstract

The use of partial linearization by nonlinear state variable feedback has been proposed as a means of reducing the detrimental effects of system nonlinearities upon the performance of linear control schemes used with nonlinear systems. In this paper a set of generalized transformed variables are derived for a single pass shell and tube heat exchanger using this technique. The implementation of these generalized transformed variables, which reduce the apparent nonlinear behavior of single pass heat exchangers, eliminates the need to rederive a nonlinear transformation for each heat exchanger controller design. As shown by open loop transient behavior of the system, the transformed variables reduce the nonlinear characteristics of the system response. The closed loop performance of the heat exchanger system has been evaluated for both servo and regulator control, and the effect of model error upon the robustness of the closed loop controller performance has been investigated.