Temperature control with a neural fuzzy inference network

Although multilayered backpropagation neural networks (BPNNs) have demonstrated high potential in adaptive control, their long training time usually discourages their applications in industry. Moreover, when they are trained online to adapt to plant variations, the over-tuned phenomenon usually occurs. To overcome the weakness of the BPNN, we propose a neural fuzzy inference network (NFIN) suitable for adaptive control of practical plant systems in general and for adaptive temperature control of a water bath system in particular. The NFIN is inherently a modified Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK)-type fuzzy rule based model possessing a neural network's learning ability. In contrast to the general adaptive neural fuzzy networks, where the rules should be decided in advance before parameter learning is performed, there are no rules initially in the NFIN. The rules in the NFIN are created and adapted as online learning proceeds via simultaneous structure and parameter identification. The NFIN has been applied to a practical water bath temperature control system. As compared to the BPNN under the same training procedure, the simulated results show that not only can the NFIN greatly reduce the training time and avoid the over-tuned phenomenon, but the NFIN also has perfect regulation ability. The performance of the NFIN is compared to that of the traditional PID controller and fuzzy logic controller (FLC) on the water bath temperature control system. The three control schemes are compared, with respect to set point regulation, ramp-point tracking, and the influence of unknown impulse noise and large parameter variation in the temperature control system. The proposed NFIN scheme has the best control performance.