Chapter 1 Optimal steady-state transitions under constrained predictive control

There has been an increasing focus in recent years on the design and operation of chemical process plants that need to respond rapidly to frequently changing market demands. We consider in this paper the transition from one steady-state operating point to another, with constrained predictive control in use as the regulatory control system. An automation structure is proposed in which the optimal transitions are implemented through specification of appropriate set-point trajectories determined at an upper level. A strategy for computing optimal reference trajectories is presented that takes into account the dynamics of the underlying closed-loop control system. Its effectiveness for determining optimal transitions is illustrated through example problems.