The effect of model fidelity on real-time optimization performance

The ability of a real-time optimization (RTO) system to track the changing optimum closely relies on an accurate model for representing the plant behavior. This paper investigates the effect of model fidelity on RTO performance using a simulated industrial boiler network case study. Three optimization approaches with very different modeling fidelity are investigated: (1) model-free direct search method; (2) model-based method using a simplified …