Temperature modeling and control in a tunnel heat-treatment furnace

In this paper, a solution for temperature modeling and control in a tunnel heat-treatment furnace, used in metallurgy, is presented. The mathematical model of the heating technological process associated to the furnace is expressed using a system of ordinary differential equations and it is determined through analytical modeling. Based on the obtained mathematical model, a simple PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller is tuned, using the nonlinear systems theory. In order to obtain the restrictive control performances imposed by the heat-treatment procedure, the first form of the determined PID controller is modified using the fractional-order systems theory. The simulations of the temperature control system are presented in a comparative manner, highlighting the main differences between the case of using the integer-order controller and the case of using the fractional-order controller.