Optimizing control of hot blast stoves in staggered parallel operation

Abstract

An optimizing control scheme is designed for the minimization of the energy consumption in the hot blast stoves. By an appropriate selection of the control structure, the problem of energy minimization at steady-state in the presence of constraints is formulated as a constrained optimal control problem. A model predictive control (MPC) scheme is designed based on a simple linear control model, which is obtained from step response experiments on a detailed dynamical model of the process. The control model is augmented with an integrating disturbance model to compensate the steady-state offset. The performance of the MPC scheme is tested on the detailed dynamical model.