The optimal detuning approach based centralized control design for MIMO processes

Abstract This manuscript introduces an optimal detuning approach for designing a centralized PI control system for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) processes. Based on the approach, two multivariable PI controller designs are proposed in this manuscript. The proposed approach formulates the centralized PI controller design problem in an optimization framework and transforms it into an equivalent detuning parameter(s) design problem. While the centralized controller design with the proposed 1-Optimal Detuning Parameter (ODP) method is carried out as a multi-stage problem, the proposed 2-ODP method formulates the controller design as a single-stage optimization problem. An effective transfer function (ETF) parameterization followed by controller synthesis using the IMC theory and further the optimal detuning comprises the various stages in 1-ODP design. In this regard, a novel ETF parameterization procedure for large scale processes or systems with higher-order elements is presented in this manuscript. Contrary to the centralized controller design in the k p , k i space, where the dimensionality of the optimization problem blows at O( 2 n 2 ), the proposed 1-ODP and 2-ODP design methods always aim at solving a uni- and bi-dimensional optimization problem, respectively, irrespective of the dimensionality of the MIMO process. Hence, the proposed method is easily applicable even to high-dimensional MIMO processes. Several illustrative industrial MIMO systems are considered to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methods to highly interacting and large scale processes. The simulation studies show that the proposed methods performs better as compared to the other centralized PI controller designs. Even with parameter variations, the proposed methods give satisfactory closed-loop performance. Further, robust stability analysis for the proposed designs is performed by considering multiplicative input and output uncertainties.