MPC-based auto-tuned PID controller for the steam generator water level

In this work, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control gains are automatically tuned by using a model predictive control (MPC) method. The MPC has received much attention as a powerful tool for the control of industrial process systems. An MPC-based PID controller can be derived from the second order linear model of a process. The steam generator is usually described by the well-known 4th order linear model which consists of the mass capacity, reverse dynamics and mechanical oscillations terms. But the important terms in this linear model are the mass capacity and reverse dynamics terms, both of which can be described by a 2nd order linear system. The proposed auto-tuned PID controller was applied to a linear model of steam generators. The parameters of a linear model for steam generators are very different according to the power levels. The proposed controller showed good performance for the water level deviation and sudden steam flow disturbances that are typical in the existing power plants by changing only the input-weighting factor according to the power level