Robust Model Predictive Control of Heat Exchanger Network in the Presence of Fouling

The aim of this paper is to present robust model predictive control (MPC) with integral action to optimize control performance of heat exchangers selected from a network, in the presence of fouling. The robust MPC represents an advanced optimization-based strategy to handle uncertain systems. The integral action is implemented to remove steady-state errors of controlled variables. The time-varying parameters of the heat exchangers in the presence of fouling are handled in the form of parametric uncertainties. Simulation of the closed-loop control confirms the significantly improved control performance.