Multiple Model Based Adaptive Control for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Process

Shell and Tube heat exchanger system (STHX) is widely used in food processing and chemical industries because it can sustain wide range of temperature and pressure. The main purpose is to exchange heat between hot and cool fluid. The designed controllers will regulate the temperature of outlet fluid to a desired set point in the shortest possible time irrespective of load and process disturbances, equipment saturation and nonlinearity. Due to nonlinear nature, shell and tube heat exchanger system is hard to model and control using conventional methods. Conventional controllers may not give efficient control over process as heat exchange influenced by operating point shifts and disturbances. To accommodate linear controllers with such drawbacks, multiple model strategy has been used. This paper proposes multiple model based PID and multiple model based MRAC control for a nonlinear STHX process. Closed loop control is implemented on the chosen process in simulation using Matlab. The controllers are subjected to both reference tracking and disturbance rejection.