Method for on-line optimization of a plant

US6278899A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Pavilion Technologies, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Stephen Piche · Austin, US
• John P. Havener · Leander, US
• Donald Semrad · Cedar Park, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 6, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 21, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 6, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B13/048
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An on-line optimizer is comprised of a nonlinear dynamic model (702) which is operable to provide an estimation of the output of a plant. This receives manipulated variables (MV), disturbance variables (DV), and computed disturbance variables (CDB). The estimated output of the model is then compared to the actual output measured by virtual on-line analyzer (VOA) (616). This is compared is a difference block 618 to generate a bias which is then filtered by a filter(620). The output thereof is then provided to an output block (672) in a steady state optimizer (700) to offset the desired setpoints. These set points are input to a steady state nonlinear model which is operable to optimize the inputs to the plants for use for writing new set points in accordance with a predetermined cost function. This cost function is utilized to optimize the new inputs with the use of the steady state model in accordance with various constraints and target values.