Expert control of DO in the aerobic reactor of an activated sludge process

Abstract An expert control structure is proposed for the control of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a Nitrification Denitrification Biological Excess Phosphorus Removal (NDBEPR) plant to account for the several processes that are influenced by the DO concentration in the aerator. In the scheme a supervisory fuzzy controller determines the set point of an inner DO control loop where an Adaptive Robust Generic Model Control (ARGMC) controller is used. The fuzzy supervisory control has a hierarchical structure. Off-line measurements of biological parameters of influent and effluent streams can be used to periodically update the set points of the fuzzy controllers. The complete control scheme has been…

Control of the Biodegradation of Mixed Wastes in a Continuous Bioreactor by a Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controller

Abstract Type-2 fuzzy logic control is proposed for nonlinear processes characterized by bifurcations. A control simulation study was conducted for a bioreactor with cell recycle containing phenol and glucose as carbon and energy sources in which a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida is carried out. The model developed by Ajbar [Ajbar, A. (2001). Stability analysis of the biodegradation of mixed wastes in a continuous bioreactor with cell recycle. Water Research, 35 (5), 1201–1208] was used for the simulations. The particular dynamics of the bioreactor, characterized by two saddle-node bifurcations, makes its control difficult, since it may become unstable also for small variations of some p…

Integration of interlock system analysis with automated HAZOP analysis

Abstract The paper details the integration of a method for the analysis of interlock systems with a software support system for HAZOP analysis. The proposed software aims to enhance the potential of HAZOP in terms of depth and efficiency of the analysis. This enhancement is reached through the continuation of the hazard and operability analysis, limited to a group of events which may hold high risks for the plant and/or surrounding environment. The analysis technique of the emergency interlock systems and other plant protection measures proposed by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) of the American Institution of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) has been assumed as a starting point. Th…

Type-2 fuzzy control of a fed-batch fermentation reactor

Abstract The aim of the paper is to present the application of type-2 fuzzy logic controllers (T2FLCs) to the control of a fed-batch fermentation reactor in which the penicillin production is carried out. The performance of the control system using T2FLCs is compared by simulation with that of a control system using type-1 fuzzy logic controllers (T1FLCs). The non linear model used for the simulation study is an unstructured model characterized by the presence of non linearities, parameter uncertainty and measurement noise. Simulation results confirm the robustness of the T2FLC which shows a better performance than its type-1 counterpart particularly when uncertainties are present in the co…

Qualitative models of equipment units and their use in automatic HAZOP analysis

Abstract The use of qualitative models in a support system for HAZOP analyses, in connection with an algorithm for finding the causes and the consequences of variable deviations, is described. The models use several representation structures among which mini-trees constitute the most important from the logical-functional point of view. The models are conceived both for continuous and batch plants. For the latter procedures, regulating the use of equipment units are also modelled using similar structures while equipment units are considered in various phases of their functioning. A brief description of the prototype support system, in which the models are implemented, is also given.

Adaptive type-2 fuzzy logic control of a bioreactor

Two adaptive type-2 fuzzy logic controllers with minimum number of rules are developed and compared by simulation for control of a bioreactor in which aerobic alcoholic fermentation for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae takes place. The bioreactor model is characterized by nonlinearity and parameter uncertainty. The first adaptive fuzzy controller is a type-2 fuzzy-neuro-predictive controller (T2FNPC) that combines the capability of type-2 fuzzy logic to handle uncertainties, with the ability of predictive control to predict future plant performance making use of a neural network model of the nonlinear system. The second adaptive fuzzy controller is instead a self-tuning type-2 PI cont…

Automating HAZOP analysis of batch processes

Abstract A support system for the hazard and operabilty studies of batch processes is presented. The search of causes and consequences is automatically performed using similar qualitative models, in form of logic minitrees, for the phases of the operation procedure and the equipment units. More models are considered for the equipment units, one for each subtask in wich they are involved. The search algorithm is integrated by rules for subdividing the plant to be analysed in nodes.

Control of a Non-isothermal CSTR by Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controllers

The paper describes the application of a type-2 fuzzy logic controller (FLC) to a non-isothermal continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) characterized by the presence of saddle node and Hopf bifurcations. Its performance is compared with a type-1 fuzzy logic controller performance. A full analysis of the uncontrolled CSTR dynamic was carried out and used for the feedback-feedforward fuzzy controllers development. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness and the robustness of the type-2 FLCs which outperform their type-1 counterparts, particularly when uncertainties are present in the system.

Coupling electrodialysis desalination with photovoltaic and wind energy systems for energy storage: Dynamic simulations and control strategy

Abstract The presence of desalination systems in polygeneration facilities is usually limited by important difficulties in operating under non-stationary regimes typical of renewable energy sources. Reverse osmosis, namely the most common desalination technology, is characterised by slow dynamics that rarely adapts to the power fluctuations of renewables. Therefore, the possibility of using electrodialysis coupled with a hybrid photovoltaic/wind energy source was investigated in this work. In particular, the combination of photovoltaic and wind energy is very attractive in order to achieve a more stable energy production, while electrodialysis is claimed to be a more flexible process compar…

Nonlinear fuzzy control of a fed-batch reactor for penicillin production

Abstract The process of penicillin production is characterized by nonlinearities and parameter uncertainties that make it difficult to control. In the paper the development and testing of a multivariable fuzzy control system that makes use of type-2 fuzzy sets for the control of pH and temperature are described. The performance of the type-2 fuzzy logic control system (T2FLCS) is compared by simulation with that of a type-1 fuzzy logic control system (T1FLCS) and that of a control system with traditional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers proposed in the literature. The fuzzy controllers are optimized using an ANFIS algorithm. The best results are obtained with the T2FLCS pa…

A Laboratory Project for Advanced Control Methods: Control of a Neutralization Process

Abstract A neutralization process is used in a laboratory project for experimenting advanced control techniques. Students may choose among several techniques to experience the behaviour of advanced controller action: adaptive control, GMG control, fuzzy control, self tuning fuzzy control, neural control, neuro-fuzzy control. The experience in advanced self tuning controller based on fuzzy logic is proposed for the control of a neutralization process. The test of a self tuning controller based on fuzzy logic is a very important case because the resulting structure of the controller is easy to implement and modify: the final results are compared with those deriving from the application of a c…

Fuzzy control of pH using NAL

Abstract A fuzzy controller for a neutralization process is described. The controller was set up for a laboratory pilot plant. The approach is shown to be effective and can be extended to highly nonlinear and nonstationary processes. The “operator” knowledge encoded in the rules was obtained by several experimental runs of the system using manual control. Rules are composed using the max-min compositional rule of inference. The use of metarules, which depends on controller performance and on active disturbances, makes the controller behave like an adaptive controller. The control program is encoded in NAL, a new experimental logic programming language that was first used in this work in a r…

Experimental Comparison of Type-1 and Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controllers for the Control of Level and Temperature in a Vessel

Abstract The objective of this experimental study is to compare the performance of type-1 and type-2 fuzzy logic controllers on a real system where the control of liquid level and temperature are considered. By the use of genetic algorithms it is possible to optimize the fuzzy sets of each fuzzy controller assuring high control performance. The experimental results show that a better control in terms of robustness can be achieved by type-2 fuzzy logic controllers.

Control of a nonlinear continuous bioreactor with bifurcation by a type-2 fuzzy logic controller

The object of this paper is the application of a type-2 fuzzy logic controller to a nonlinear system that presents bifurcations. A bifurcation can cause instability in the system or can create new working conditions which, although stable, are unacceptable. The only practical solution for an efficient control is the use of high performance controllers that take into account the uncertainties of the process. A type-2 fuzzy logic controller is tested by simulation on a nonlinear bioreactor system that is characterized by a transcritical bifurcation. Simulation results show the validity of the proposed controllers in preventing the system from reaching bifurcation and instable or undesirable s…

Control of a non-isothermal continuous stirred tank reactor by a feedback–feedforward structure using type-2 fuzzy logic controllers

A control system that uses type-2 fuzzy logic controllers (FLC) is proposed for the control of a non-isothermal continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), where a first order irreversible reaction occurs and that is characterized by the presence of bifurcations. Bifurcations due to parameter variations can bring the reactor to instability or create new working conditions which although stable are unacceptable. An extensive analysis of the uncontrolled CSTR dynamics was carried out and used for the choice of the control configuration and the development of controllers. In addition to a feedback controller, the introduction of a feedforward control loop was required to maintain effective control…

A neural network-based optimizing control system for a seawater-desalination solar-powered membrane distillation unit

Abstract Several schemes have been proposed so far for coupling desalination processes with the use of renewable energy. One of their main drawbacks, however, is the nature of the energy source that requires a discontinuous and non-stationary operation, with some control and optimization problems. In the present work, a solar powered membrane distillation system has been used for developing an optimizing control strategy. A neural network (NN) model of the system has been trained and tested using experimental data purposely collected. Afterwards, the NN model has been used for the analysis of the process performance under various operating conditions, namely distillate production versus fee…

Corrigendum to “Off-line control of the postprandial glycemia in type 1 diabetes patients by a fuzzy logic decision support” [Expert Systems with Applications 39 (12) (2012) 10693–10699]

FEEDFORWARD CONTROL SCHEMES FOR CHEMICAL PROCESSES: AN ALGORITHMIC APPROACH

Abstract A procedure for the systematic determination of feedforward control schemes for chemical processes is presented and an algorithm is derived. The proposed method makes use of the structural features of the process to be controlled and can be applied to linearized process models. Worked examples show how the algorithm can be a handy tool that systemizes the choice of manipulative and measuring variables in feedforward control schemes for multivariate processes.

Development of a fuzzy expert system for the control of glycemia in type 1 diabetic patients

Abstract The paper describes the structure and the characteristics of an expert system that allows the optimization of postprandial glycemia in type 1 diabetic patients. The expert system is able to provide patients with the number of rapid insulin units that must be taken in order to keep the blood glucose level close to the omeostatic condition in the hours following a meal.

Expert control of DO in the aerobic reactor of an activated sludge process

Abstract An expert control structure is proposed for the control of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a Nitrification Denitrification Biological Excess Phosphorus Removal (NDBEPR) plant to account for the several processes that are influenced by the DO concentration in the aerator. In the scheme a supervisory fuzzy controller determines the set point of an inner DO control loop where an Adaptive Robust Generic Model Control (ARGMC) controller is used. The fuzzy supervisory control has a hierarchical structure. Off-line measurements of biological parameters of influent and effluent streams can be used to periodically update the set points of the fuzzy controllers. The complete control scheme has been…

Adaptive Fuzzy Control of a Process with Bifurcations

Several fuzzy controllers with different structures have been considered for the control of systems with bifurcation. A mixed feedforward-feedback structure with some additional adaptation mechanisms have been checked by simulation in the control of a non-linear process constituted by a bubble column in which a slow kinetics auto-catalytic reaction takes place. Simulation results show the validity of some of the proposed controllers in avoiding the system reaching bifurcation and instability conditions.