/spl mu/ optimal control of a laboratory plant

The paper presents the design of a robust control for a real plant at laboratory scale. The process considered consists of the production of a C1H dissolution. The control system aim is to maintain the concentration at prescribed values despite variations in the plant, the presence of disturbances and the inherent nonlinearity of the process. The uncertainties in the model are studied and characterized as complex or real uncertainties. Using this information the controller was designed by optimization of the structured singular value (/spl mu/-synthesis). The obtained controller was tested in real time in the plant, fulfilling the design requirements and obtaining good performance in varying conditions.