Some experiences with the application of multivariable adaptive control in chemical and electromechanical plants

Based on a new unified theory, multivariable adaptive generalized minimum variance and model reference adaptive control are applied to three different types of processes. The improvement of control quality in a foil coating process using adaptive control is significant. Reduced energy costs can be really achieved on distillation columns as shown on a production column. The tuning of a multivariable controller for a turbogenerator can be done automatically and yields satisfactory disturbance rejection. The examples illustrate that adaptive control using these techniques has reached a high degree of maturity, making it a powerful tool for the control engineer.