Auto-tuned PID controller using a model predictive control method for the steam generator water level

In this paper, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control gains are automatically tuned by using a model predictive control (MPC) method. The MPC has received much attention as a powerful tool for the control of industrial process systems. An MPC-based PID controller can be derived from the second-order linear model of a process. The steam generator is usually described by the well-known fourth-order linear model, which consists of the mass capacity, reverse dynamics, and mechanical oscillation terms. However the important terms in this linear model are the mass capacity and reverse dynamics terms, both of which can be described by a second-order linear system. The proposed auto-tuned PID controller was applied to a linear model of steam generators. The parameters of a linear model for steam generators are very different according to the power levels. The PID gains of the proposed controller are tuned automatically. Also, the proposed controller showed fast water level tracking and small shrink and swell performance by changing only the input-weighting factor according to the power level for the water-level deviation and sudden steam flow disturbances supposed to investigate the tracking performance and swell and shrink characteristics.