Simulation based evaluation of a nonlinear model predictive controller for friction stir welding of nuclear waste canisters

The Swedish nuclear waste will be stored in copper canisters and kept isolated deep under ground for more than 100,000 years. To ensure reliable sealing of the canisters, friction stir welding is used. To repetitively produce high quality welds, it is vital to use automatic control of the process. This paper introduces a nonlinear model predictive controller for regulating both plunge depth and stir zone temperature, which has not been presented in literature before. Further, a nonlinear process model has been developed and used to evaluate the controller in simulations of the closed loop system. The controller is compared to a decentralized solution, and simulation results indicate that it is possible to achieve higher control performance using the nonlinear model predictive controller.