Use of polynomial approach for control of heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger is a specialized device that assists in the transfer of heat from one fluid to the other. In some cases, a solid wall may separate the fluids and prevent them from mixing. In other designs, the fluids may be in direct contact with each other. Heat exchangers are requisite in a range of industrial technologies, particularly in the energetic, chemical, polymer and rubber industry. Heat exchange processes often contain time-delay. This paper deals with design of a universal digital control algorithm for control of a great deal of processes with time-delay. This algorithm is realized by the digital Smith Predictor based on polynomial approach - Linear Quadratic (LQ) method. For a minimization of the LQ criterion is used spectral factorization. The designed polynomial controllers were verified not only by simulation but also by a real-time control of an experimental laboratory heat exchanger.