Application of a fuzzy controller for the isomerized hop pellets production

Presents an application of fuzzy logic control to isomerized hop pellet production. The hop is very important in the brewing industries because a hop of high quality provides a good aroma to the beer and gives consistency to the foam. The isomerized pellets in this case study, are produced by warming stabilized pellets to approximately 50/spl deg/C and holding them for one to two weeks. The alpha acids are almost completely isomerized under these conditions. The fuzzy controller was shown to have a high degree of robustness producing good results such that the quality of the product is guaranteed. A comparison with other control approaches widely used in industry is performed using a nonlinear computer model.