Published December 23, 2025 | Version v3

Predictive Control Strategies of a Polymerization Production Unit

  • 1. ROR icon Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
  • 2. ROR icon Université de Lorraine

Description

Polymerization processes exhibit complex dynamics where achieving precise control is essential. This paper compares various predictive control strategies for a multiple-input, multiple-output system. The studied system includes two plants: a nonlinear kinetic model of a propylene polymerization reactor and a linear model of a counter-current shell-and-tube heat exchanger for removing heat from the exothermic reaction. The controlled variables are the reactor temperature and melt flow index, controlled by coolant and product removal flow rates. We evaluate optimal control strategies based on model predictive controllers (MPC) with differing model structures: (i) nonlinear, (ii) linear, and (iii) linear multi-model approaches. The multi-model strategy uses a weighted predicted output, calculated by combining model outputs using weights derived from prediction errors. Unlike traditional multi-model controllers that constrain only the weighted output, our method enforces constraints on all individual model outputs. This enhances robustness, leading to reduced output oscillations, shorter settling times, and fewer constraint violations. Additionally, multi-model controllers maintained computational efficiency and achieved objective function values within 5% of the nonlinear MPC.

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Additional details

Funding

European Commission
FrontSeat - Fostering Opportunities Towards Slovak Excellence in Advanced Control for Smart Industries 101079342
Slovak Research and Development Agency
Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV-21-0019
Government of Slovakia
EU RePower VAIA 09I01-03-V04-00024
Campus France
France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 160329Z
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Young Researchers Support Programme 1326

Dates

Available
2025-06-20