THE ACT CLUB NEWS Issue 16 December 1998

speakers describing recent implemented in the toolbox, Inside This Issue: developments in these areas. including current state-of-the-art • Forthcoming Events techniques, are accessible if required. The ACT Club will report on the A full description of the Toolbox and • New Predictive Control Lloyd’s study into the use of Fibre its features can be found on Page 2. Toolbox Optic Cabling and also launch the updated Ship Modelling and The official launch of the Predictive • New ACT Club Reports Simulation package which now Control Toolbox will be on 14th April • ACT Club WWW Site works in Matlab/Simulink. 1999 at the University of Strathclyde. • The programme for the day will ACT Club in London consist of: • Conference News Process Control and • • Theoretical introduction to Energy SIG SCADA Systems Meeting, Predictive Control th • ACT Club Training 9 February 1999 • Detailed presentation of the Courses & Deliverables Toolbox capabilities Bailey Automation in Telford is • Hands-on sessions. hosting this event which will bring together speakers from both elcome to this bumper issue of academia and industry. It should be a Interested Club members can request Wthe Advanced Control very interesting day especially as we a beta version of the Toolbox for Technology Club News. It is filled have the renowned researcher Prof. evaluation. If you are interested with details of our forthcoming Jacques Richalet, who will give the please contact Andy Clegg. events and activities, as well as the key presentation, entitled “Industrial usual conference reports and other Applications of PFC Predictive news articles. Control”. Events for 1999: I hope you enjoy reading the Other speakers from the Oil and Gas • Newsletter. If you have any 5th Marine SIG Meeting, Industry and Systems Suppliers th comments (or criticisms!) we will be perspective will make this a very well Croydon, 8 February delighted to hear from you. rounded day. A tour around Bailey • Process Control & SCADA Automation is also included. Systems, Telford, 9th February Andy Clegg ACT Club Manager • Energy, Oil & Gas Event, Predictive Control Aberdeen, March (tbc) • Toolbox Launch Event Predictive Control Toolbox Launch, Glasgow, 14th April Forthcoming Events for 14th April 1999 ACT Club Members • Steering Group Meeting, 19th The Industrial Control Centre has May (evening) th developed a Predictive Control • PID Control Day, University of 5 Marine SIG Meeting Toolbox, which is being made th th Sussex, 20 May 8 February 1999 available to Club members. The main • purpose of the Toolbox is to enable Applications of Advanced The next Marine Special Interest engineers to try out Model Based Control, Cambridge Group Meeting will be held on 8th Predictive Control without the need University, mid-September February 1999 at Lloyd’s Register of to understand the underlying theory (tbc) Shipping in Croydon. The theme of and algorithms. The Toolbox makes the meeting will be Fault Monitoring extensive use of Graphical User and System Integration with guest Interfaces to guide the user through the design process. The algorithms

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB 50 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1QE. Tel.: (+44) 0141 553 1111 Fax: (+44) 0141 553 1232 e-mail: [email protected] Page 2 The ACT Club News

It is hoped that the same type of Control. It is likely to be held in one • Improving the Quality of international representation will be of the nearby hotels and will Control in Cold Rolling Mills present at this course as was present hopefully combine both work and Training Course, October (tbc) at the previous event. A number of pleasure. companies have already expressed an Energy, Oil & Gas interest in promoting the course. The New ACT Club Predictive Meeting, March 1999 arrangements have yet to be finalised, but following feedback, it is likely to Control Toolbox be a little shorter than the full-week The ACT Club recently hosted a of the previous event. Club members meeting targeted at the Oil and Gas will again receive two free places, The long awaited ACT Club Industry (see report on Page 3) which whilst non-members will pay a fee of Predictive Control Toolbox for focused on the performance and cost £2,700 per delegate. benefits improvements that have been Matlab is now available in a pre- release evaluation form. This achieved through the use of advanced We hope to establish these courses as Toolbox is a very user-friendly control. an annual event and that this will means of trying predictive control form the beginning of a Metal algorithms without the need for a This future event is intended to Processing Special Interest Group. expand on the interest generated by detailed understanding of the theory. The user interacts with the design the previous event and will coincide Further details of this course can be entirely through Graphical User with the commencement of our obtained from Reza Katebi in the Interfaces and dialog boxes. The Energy Special Interest Group. We ICC, (tel.: 0141 548 4297 or email: Toolbox includes the following hope to follow the same structure as [email protected]). the previous event and include a features: number of company presentations. • A state-space system description is This meeting will be held in Full details of all the above used allowing multivariable Aberdeen to attract a strong events will be circulated to Club systems to be handled easily. participation from the North Sea Oil members 6-8 weeks prior to • The new algorithms, developed in and Gas Industry and is scheduled for events taking place the ICC, provide better stability March 1999. and robustness properties, and are presented along with the more traditional algorithms PID Control Day, • Constraints on both plant input and output signals can be handled 20th May 1999 • The designed controllers can be tested using both linear and non- This meeting will report on recent Steering Group Report linear models developed within advances with the commonest form SIMULINK. of controller, the PID, including new • A demonstration example of a gas auto-tuning techniques. It will be The ACT Club Steering Group met at turbine model is provided. hosted by Prof.. Derek Atherton at BG Technology on the 26th October, the University of Sussex. featuring the usual discussions on The toolbox nature of this package defining future Club activities and enables the user to take the various priorities. Prof. Ron Leigh of Brunel elements within the toolbox and Improving Control in University was present and he incorporate them into their own Cold Rolling Mills described the shape of the new simulations in a very convenient London based Centre. manner. It is the most professional of The success of the Hot Rolling Mill the ACT Club packages to date. course (see Page 3) has encouraged We are always willing to accept new members onto the Steering Group, This toolbox will be launched us to develop a Cold Mill course for th 1999. The course will again be aimed and at the moment we are looking for formally on the 14 April as at plant engineers concerned with the nominations for the position of mentioned previously in this operation and maintenance of Cold Chairman. newsletter. The pre-release version Mills. The course will therefore be at Toolbox is fully functional and is quite an introductory level. being made available to companies The next Steering Group meeting for comment and evaluation will take place on the evening of the purposes. If any Club member would 19th May, prior to the meeting on PID like to evaluate this software before

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 3 The ACT Club News its formal release then please contact Andy Clegg at the usual address. This was a very successful event supported by the Energy Technology If any member would like copies Support Unit (ETSU), which looked of the material distributed at the Recent ACT Club Events at Advanced Control for the Oil and above meetings then please Gas Industry. The aim was to contact Lorna Fleming at the promote the benefits that Advanced usual address. Introduction to QFT Control can provide through presentations discussing real-life A very successful meeting on experiences. Quantitative Feedback Theory was hosted by CEGELEC at Rugby in The meeting was attended by thirty New ACT Club response to requests from Club participants from many International Members members for an introduction to this Oil and Gas companies as well as subject. In addition to the tutorial ACT Club members. introduction, a range of applications was considered and the benefits and Alstom have recently joined the advantages of QFT outlined. ACT Club, primarily to undertake a Joint ACT Club/ICC Case Study on the application of QFT extends classical frequency Hot Rolling Mill Control Fault Tolerant Control for Gas domain design approaches to provide Turbines. truly robust solutions. It is applicable and Technology Course to many systems, ranging from Kodak became the first company to process control to aerospace. The The above event, held 14th-18th September at Strathclyde University, join through the new London Centre meeting attracted over twenty (see article on Page 5). Kodak are delegates and an introductory report attracted both Club members and paying non-Club members from primarily concerned with process was issued. This report has now been control for their film production, and issued as an Educational Note. many different countries, making this a truly international event. The as such are heavily involved in lectures and practical sessions were Chemical engineering and batch well received and overall the course processes. Applications of proved very worthwhile for delegates Knowledge Based Systems and lecturers alike. The course Cerestar (food stuffs producer) and banquet was held at the Charles Omron (PLC manufacturer) are Rennie Mackintosh designed “House both looking to follow in Kodak’s This one-day meeting held at BG for an Art Lover” and proved a fitting footsteps and join through the Technology, Loughborough brought end for our first such course. London Centre early next year. together speakers from many industrial sectors. Their common interest was in the application of Knowledge Based Systems and they described their own particular experiences: Applications included:-

• Hydro-Electric generation • Gas distribution and forecasting • Electric-arc furnace scheduling • Gas-turbine monitoring • Process plant diagnostics • Intelligent product manuals

The meeting was very interesting and also included a tour around BG Technology’s site and areas of work.

ETSU supported Oil and Gas Day

THE ADVANCEDHot Rolling CONTROL Mill Course TECHNOLOGY Delegates at the Mackintosh CLUB inspired House for an Art Lover Page 4 The ACT Club News

The report makes very interesting CSP and demonstrates the benefits of New ACT Club reading for anybody and should be of symbolic manipulation. particular value to anyone involved Reports in manufacturing and distribution problems. If any ACT Club member would like additional copies of any of “Introduction to QFT” our reports then please get in “Fibre Optics and their touch at the usual address. The recent ACT Club event on use in Field Trials Quantitative Feedback Theory demonstrated the interest that Club Measurements Systems” A full list of the Club Case Study members have in this subject. This Reports, Technical Reports and Educational Note is a basic This Technical Report was the Educational Notes can be found introduction to QFT and describes outcome of a short study undertaken on the last two pages of this the design process and underlying for Lloyd’s Register of Shipping to newsletter. theory in a very easy to digest form. examine the potential use of fibre optic cables within their field trials The bulk of the report presents a measurement systems. The report tutorial example for a Single-Input looks at the major characteristics of Single-Output control system. It fibre optics cabling and it’s shows how plant uncertainty is applicability for temporary field represented and is incorporated into installations. ACT Club WWW Site the QFT design. It then goes on to look at stability, disturbance and The report looks at the different types of fibre optic cables available, how tracking bounds that ensure that The ACT Club WWW Site is now they are tested and the various closed loop stability and tracking attracting many people. We hope to components that constitute a fibre performance requirements are met. increase the usefulness of this optic data communications network. resource very soon by introducing an A comparison with conventional The report shows that QFT is a very extensive library of resources both copper cabling pertaining to Lloyd’s practical method for controller design within the Club and on the Internet. particular application is also and that for many industrial This should establish the ACT Club included. applications it can yield significant WWW Site as a key resource for any benefits over classical control design engineers wanting to find out more The report should be of interest to methods. about either particular control anyone considering using fibre optics techniques or specific applications. for data communications whether in a permanent or temporary installation. “Supply Chain We are also in the process of making Dynamics” Case Study the Club reports and software available over the Internet so that “Introduction to Club members can download these This Case Study was undertaken for items as and when needed. Unilever Research and was Mathematica” commissioned to establish the state The development of our WWW Site of knowledge of applying control This Educational Note introduces the is a continuous process and major systems theory to supply chains. The world of symbolic manipulation as it improvements will occur during next term supply chain refers to the links describes the new Control System year. Any comments and ideas about and feedback interactions between Professional toolbox that how we can improve the WWW Site production, distribution and retailing accompanies Mathematica, the will be gratefully received. centres associated with the supply of symbolic computation package. The manufactured goods. Control System Professional allows control system designs to be carried Remember, our WWW site is at: The report looks at the different out utilising the power of symbolic methods of modelling these supply equations. chains and also how these can be http://isc.eee.strath.ac.uk/ enhanced so that control theory can The report is presented as a brief actclub.html be applied to what is essentially a tutorial into the use of Mathematica feedback system. and it’s wide range of capabilities. It then goes onto describe the various functions that are available under the

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 5 The ACT Club News

The London centre provides: We are moving swiftly to take on New ACT Club London further Members, so if your Company wishes to participate please Based Centre • A programme, chosen by the make your interests known to us as Centre’s Industrial Members, soon as possible. Recently the benefits of the ACT including: Club were extended both technically • Customised training workshops and geographically with the • On-plant visits and assistance establishment of the London centre. • Case Studies London Centre for Technology • Opportunities for interaction Transfer: Enabling and and meeting other industrialists. Underpinning Research London Centre for • Link to all ACT Club facilities and events • Useful information from large data Technology Transfer off • A priority position from which to sets to a Flying Start participate in and benefit from • Systems Integration (EPSRC collaborative research projects initiative) • The newly launched London that complement the Technology • Research to underpin CIM, SAP, Centre provides specialist Transfer activities. ERM etc [large scale factory expertise in Process Control, automation] Monitoring and Control of The London Centre already has • Underpinning of use of AI tools Biotechnological Processes, Members from the Process, Food and • Where's the flair-Forum for new Electrical Power Systems and Systems Supplier Industries and the ideas Networks and Control of Food programme of events will commence Processing Plants. in early 1999. • Members of the London Centre In the first instance please contact: simultaneously obtain access to all Activities already scheduled for the of the facilities and events of the London Centre include: Prof. Ron Leigh ACT Club. Dept. of and • Assistance with a Process Electronics Validation project in which large Brunel University Technology Transfer consists volumes of data are interpreted Uxbridge, of supplying: on-line, possibly using parallel Middlesex processing techniques. UB8 3PH • Tel.: 01895 274000 ext. 2144 Awareness of latest technologies, Assistance with a project Robots Fax.: 01628 540823 particularly in the areas of: Data On The Food Production Line. • Email:[email protected] Analysis, Applied Computation, Provision of short courses on System Modelling, Simulation and Power Distribution Networks And Control, Process Diagnostics, The Effects Of Harmonics. Robotics, Knowledge Handling and Systems Implementation. STRATHCLYDE ACT CLUB Expert and Informed Assistance to provides a programme of: help industrialists choose the most • Awareness workshops appropriate technology for specific • How to do it workshops applications. • Free software Member Practical Assistance translating the Companies chosen technologies to efficient plant LONDON CENTRE provides implementations. • Specialist expertise • On-plant assistance Another Geographical contact point • Custom training to augment the ones already • Link to all Strathclyde facilities established by the ACT Club.

EPSRC, BBSRC DTI, MAFF & LINK schemes

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 6 The ACT Club News

CONFERENCE NEWS

Liberty, Fraternity and over the last three years 3,240 were quality and yield, whilst at the same found. Prof. Zadeh enjoyed being time reducing product variability. He the American Control able to say I told you so. also stated that competitive benefits Conference. were often only achieved by Amongst the other outstanding squeezing the performance of the awards was that to Prof. Ioannis control system to get closer to The 1998 American Control Kanellakopoulos who received the operating limits. Conference was held in Eckman Award and Prof. Peter Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home of Dorato who obtained the Ragazzini Dr. Herbert Hanselmann, who is the famous Liberty Bell. Award. Both Prof. President of dSPACE, considered the Kanellakopoulos and Prof. Dorato relatively hot topic of real-time The high point of this year’s ACC are very well known for their work in control. dSPACE is the hardware was the presentation by Prof. Rudolf their respective fields of adaptive and that enables MATLAB to be used Kalman on Mathematical Systems robust control, and their right from the design stage through to Theory in the 21st Century. His talk contributions have been significant. implementation with real plant. He was mostly philosophical in nature It was particularly pleasing to see stated that code-generation tools can with quotes from Cicero to Mark Charles Cutler recognised through remove the bottlenecks and optimise Twain. The quote from Cicero the Control Engineering Practice the whole development process. His seemed particularly appropriate Award. His contributions to the examples were taken from the “those who don’t know the past, development of dynamic matrix automotive industry where there are cannot imagine the future”. Kalman control were fundamental and has severe pressures on emission pointed to the importance of basic found extensive application in the standards and fuel consumption, and scientific research and distinguished petrochemical industry. He additional control loops are now between this and the other possible developed one of the outstanding required for many additional research routes such as goal oriented, products (DMC) that has introduced automotive functions. commercial and popular research. advanced control into a range of industries, demonstrating the real One of the most interesting sessions A number of awards were made at cost savings that can be achieved. concerned control education over the the meeting and the most prestigious World Wide Web. Christian Schmid was that to Lotfi Zadeh who was The main industrial Plenary of the (Ruhr University) described a virtual presented with the Bellman Control week was by Dr. Ogunnaike of control laboratory and Molly Shor Heritage Award. Prof. Zadeh is very DuPont who discussed the control of (Oregon State University) described well known for his contribution to chemical processes. His objectives a Netscape control laboratory fuzzy set theory. He was able to for a successful control system were: facility, which enabled remote access amuse the audience with his to a robot arm. This enabled students reminiscences regarding previous 1. The process should operate safely. to remotely conduct experiments in comments made on the value of his 2. The specified production rate must the laboratory. The robot arm is approach. One of his transparencies be achieved. housed in a secure and safe included a quote from Prof. Kalman 3. Desired product quality must be environment and the student who in 1972, which went “His proposals maintained. logs in first gains access to the could be severely, ferociously even experiment. There is real-time video brutally criticised from a technical He noted that the chemical process display so that the behaviour of the point of view. This would be out of industry worldwide is worth about 1 robot in the laboratory can be place here. But a blunt question trillion dollars. However, there are observed and time-domain plots can remains Is Prof. Zadeh presenting relatively slim profit margins on huge be obtained. important ideas or is he indulging in volumes. One of the distinguishing wishful thinking”. He also quoted characteristics seems to be the very One of the new topics to emerge at from an NSF Grant Application in long-term capital investment the Conference is the subject of non- 1989 where the reviewers programmes required and the fact fragile controllers. There can be pit- recommended: delete all material on that each plants is unique. He falls when implementing advanced fuzzy sets; it has been proved to lack pointed to the need for more efficient controllers, which may appear to a sound mathematical basis. Prof. utilisation of these very expensive have better properties, but when Zadeh noted that from a quick survey assets and the role that improved implemented in a real DCS system of the number of papers with fuzzy in control systems can play. He showed may give rise to unpredictable the title in Mathematical Journals that it is possible to improve product performance.

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 7 The ACT Club News

been spectacularly successful in the There was a lot of interest in the Greg Stewart (Honeywell-Measurex petrochemical and chemicals subject of fault detection. Jason Deveron Inc) presented an industries. His contention was that Speyer (University of California) impressive paper on the use of robust this was the only technique which gave a particularly interesting generalised minimum variance was really suitable for integrating presentation of game theory for control for paper machines. A paper together logic systems, continuous decentralised fault detection filtering. by Brian White (Cranfield dynamics and system constraints. He Jakob Stoustrup ( University) University) on Robust Flight Control described AspenTech's success which described the related approach of considered the use of Eigenstructure has grown in fifteen years to a multi-objective design techniques for Assignment type methods. He was turnover of $180 million has been fault detection and isolation. Mike able to provide convincing evidence mainly due to the use of this Rank (Technical University of that low interaction between channels approach. They have apparently ) considered the problem of could be achieved and robustness 1400 application of true threshold selection for fault improved. Lin Chujen (Intelligent multivariable control but he noted detectors. Automation, Inc) considered the use only 10% of these needed some type of neural networks in submarine pitch of non-linear control (usually a The Sessions on model predictive and depth control. One of the main simple non-linear transformation) control were very well attended and benefits of his solution was the and less than 5% required multiple James Primbs (CALTEC) discussed ability to accommodate the nonlinear models or gain scheduling. the use of nonlinear control with a variations in submarine dynamics. receding horizon and Lyapunov Morari asked why predictive control control functions. Although the It may only be a temporary change is so popular and widely used. He results were a little academic they did but this year’s ACC seemed to be concluded that for tough systems tackle a very difficult problem where emphasising industrial applications involving multivariable dynamics and results are needed. Basil much more strongly. The standard of multiple constraints, there was no Kouvaritakis (Oxford University) the applications papers certainly real alternative approach. One of the described a computationally efficient seems to be improving, although a technological developments he constrained predictive control law to little of the excitement that comes pointed to was the convergence in handle rate constraints. with some rapid theoretical advances, performance of DCS systems and may have been missing. PLCs. It was his belief that by the A number of sessions were Nevertheless this was a valuable year 2000 these systems would be concerned with metal processing and event which had the virtuous very similar and provide new Harutoshi Ogai (Nippon Steel) outcome of bringing academics and opportunities for control. considered the use of fuzzy set theory practitioners an improved mutual for dynamic set-up of hot strip mills, understanding. roll pressure modelling in cold strip mills and edge drop set-up systems in cold mills. Their experience with Italian Style and Control Planning fuzzy set theory is encouraging since Scheduling it has led to so many applications. Engineering Anke Xue (Zhejiang University) Optimisation described a real time expert system, which was integrated with a GPC The 1998 IEEE Conference on Regulation control law for cold strip mill Control Applications was held in Measurement/Actuation control. It seems the expert system is Trieste, Italy, 1-4 September 1998. It was held in the Stazione Marittima, used to optimise set points of the Morari stated that the above diagram, which is on the sea front. In fact this predictive control loops. Juan Fei which is shown in many process is the first conference I have attended Qiao (Northeastern University) control books, would not be where warships moored at one side described a new method of flatness applicable in the future since and ferries the other side of the event. control in cold rolling. The method advances in computer science are he proposed involved fuzzy blurring these boundaries. Even with A number of plenary papers were recognition with a more conventional today's systems real-time presented of which the presentation self-tuning controller. It was optimisation with model predictive by Manfred Morari (ETH, Zurich) on interesting that in all of these control gives rise to fluent the control of systems with examples of real applications there boundaries. Tomorrow he believed continuous dynamics, logic and was a need to combine some form of there would be smart manufacturing constraints was particularly intelligent control with more through the integration of plant impressive. Morari's talk centred on conventional model based or control and business systems. He adaptive control methods. model predictive control, which has

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 8 The ACT Club News quoted British Petroleum whose technologically advanced aeroplane turbine power plant. His approach interest is in the integration of their where the control engineering was to calculate a linear quadratic operation from oil well to the petrol problems are challenging. optimal controller and then calculate station. New paradigms will be the open loop frequency response. He needed for integrating these layers. Tariq Samad (Honeywell Technology then approximated this response Centre) organised a session entitled using an open loop characteristic His theoretical conclusion was that “what is new and exciting in control”. based on a PID controller. The PID more general system descriptions are Not surprisingly this attracted coefficients were then chosen to needed to mix together these logical considerable interest and he minimise the error between these two and continuous time dynamic presented the first talk called frequency characteristics. Such an problems. He gave numerous “Control in an age of complexity”. approximation of the open-loop industrial examples of illustrating the In some respects his talk supported frequency response does not mixture of requirements. For the plenary presentation by Morari guarantee stability but it did provide example, the gas supply system for since it drew attention to the wider a simple and easy to use method of Kawasaki Steel uses very complex systems problems control engineers computing the PID controller rules for boiler operation, regarding must now consider. Frank Lewis coefficients. the time it should be switched on, the (University of Texas) gave a sequencing involved and what should particularly stimulating presentation happen if the type of fuel should on new developments in neuro- change. Future integrated systems control. There is continuing must be able to deal with this type of development in the area of neural mixed sequencing and continuous networks with researchers still control problem. His other examples proposing their use within the control included hydroelectric power plant, loop. automotive active levelling systems and fault detection systems for steel Nunzio Bonavita (Elsag-Bailey) rolling mills. He described one described improvements in process possible way forward combining control through the use of model Conference Proceedings logic and artificial intelligence, and based techniques from a control utilising linear programming type systems vendor’s perspective. He on CD-ROM techniques. His quadratic objective drew attention to the fact that control functions combined continuous and system suppliers deal with a much integer variables. He noted that the larger range of problems than simply Both the above Conferences have branch and bound strategies for control algorithms. He also their proceedings on CD-ROM, solving mixed integer quadratic reminded us of the obvious but copies of which are held within the problems are very effective. In fact important lesson that any new control Industrial Control Centre. This the Kawasaki Steel plant, gas supply technique that is developed, must be provides a convenient means of problem involved a control transparent and easy to use and storing and retrieving the many computation time of just 1.2 seconds apply. papers as well as providing a on a Sun SPARC 4 computer. powerful search facility. Haniph Latchman (University of Jean-Jacques Slotine (MIT) Florida) described recent work on a The programme for these events can described a practical approach to perturbation radius used in the robust be obtained from Lorna Fleming non-linear control applications in his design of H∞ controllers. To some from which you can then determine plenary presentation. The approach extent this measure is a any papers that may be of interest. he introduced was contraction generalisation of the idea of gain and analysis, which he explained could be phase margin. However, it takes into considered a generalisation of linear account the form of the uncertainty eigenvalue analysis. The approach and in particular, the vector direction seemed particularly relevant to his of the uncertainty, relative to the own area of robotic control but there critical point for stability. The were also aerospace, underwater and criterion he defined enabled systems process control applications which to be designed with H∞ weightings could utilise such results. that would not be so conservative.

The third plenary presentation was Masanori Yukitomo (Toshiba) given by Jim McWha (Boeing) who described a new PID controller Energy Special described the development of the 777 tuning approach with application to aeroplane, which is a very Flue gas temperature control in gas Interest Group

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 9 The ACT Club News

Centre that may be of interest to the that will enable effective The actions towards establishing the Energy SIG and may help in defining comparisons to be made with current Energy SIG have been progressing in the SIG’s programme. These are: best practice. the ACT Club for some time and have included: • THERMIE – implementation of It is difficult to even compare two advanced voltage regulation. similar plants owned by different • Tutorial Session “Improving the Partners: ENEL, ABB and Red companies. However, there are Quality of Control in the Power Electrica. methods of establishing whether the Industry 25th August 1998, • IN-CONTROL – benchmarking control systems are well tuned. Mike Glasgow advanced control algorithms. Johnson in the Industrial Control • Meeting on “Process Control for More details in the next article. Centre is investigating one such Profit and Energy Efficiency for • Process Control Room Simulator method that uses contour maps to the Oil and Gas, Power and – submitted to JREI. Partners: determine how well PID systems are Utilities”, 14th October 1998, Elsag-Bailey, Scottish Power, tuned. This is an old idea brought up- Glasgow, supported by ETSU. COGSYS, Feedback Instruments, to-date through the use of new • MSc Project highlighting the ACT Club. technology and techniques. problems and procedures for • Multiphase Flow Modelling for multivariable control in the Improved Control Performance of This benchmarking project is process industry. This work is Oil Platform – under discussion. supported by the EU and involves continuing as a PhD project and • PhD Project on Advanced Elsag Bailey (Italy), Red Electrica may result in an Energy SIG Multivariable Predictive Process (Spain), Deutsche Babcock and the Case Study Control – just started. Universities of Aalborg (Denmark), • Meetings and discussions with • Joint project with Oxford Genoa (Italy), Bocam (Germany) and companies such as Marathon University on Predictive Control – Strathclyde University. The project Oil, British Energy, Scottish under discussion. manager is Dr Andrzej Ordys and he Hydro and National Grid. is able to invite contributions at the We believe that the forthcoming various meetings. If you would like It is our intention that the Energy SIG meeting in Aberdeen and the to contribute to such an event, which is formally established during the formation of the Energy SIG will would usually be a two-day meeting, Energy, Oil and Gas meeting being generate a substantial interest among then please contact either Andrzej or held in March next year. the Club members. Of course we will Mike Grimble. keep you informed on the The possible topics of interest of this development of this initiative. In the SIG may include: meantime, we will be canvassing the Professorial Appointment opinion of the Club members by • Multivariable control for sending a letter and a questionnaire for Mike Johnson optimisation of energy and to companies who potentially may be material consumption. interested. Also, any form of • Dynamic simulation of energy feedback on the above from any Club I am sure all Club members will be systems for improved on-line member would be very much very pleased to hear that the assessment of performance. welcomed. University of Strathclyde has • Hardware and implementation appointed Mike Johnson as a issues for control in the energy, oil of the University with a and gas industries. European Union title of Professor of Industrial • Benchmarking control practice in Control. the energy, oil and gas industries. Supported Benchmarking • Safety critical design and reliable Project control.

Of course, the specific actions to be undertaken will be decided by the How well are your control systems interested members at the kick-off performing relative to your most meeting. Therefore the above list are effective competitors? This question merely suggestions. is the subject of a new project within the ICC, which is concerned with Also, there are several on-going benchmarking. The aim of the project activities in the Industrial Control is to develop procedures and tools

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 10 The ACT Club News

ACT Club Control Engineering Training Courses

The training courses described below Theory and Control System Design. Control. The course is focused on use are standard courses available The course presents frequency and of advanced computer tools to through your company’s membership time domain analysis of linear control system design and simulation. of the ACT Club. The courses can be control systems. The PID controller The theoretical material is supported focused on your specific needs and and tuning methods are also covered. with numerous tutorial examples in applications and individual modules MATRIXx. from different courses can be mixed This is the most popular training to form a client specific course. In course that we offer. It is especially addition the courses can be aimed at useful to those engineers who may Course 7: Kalman technician to research engineer level. not have had specific theory teaching during their electrical or mechanical Filtering (One Day) Should your company require course engineering degrees. It also provides modules which are not listed then our an excellent refresher course in basic This course gives a detailed relationship with Strathclyde control engineering for practising description of Kalman Filter theory University can be exploited to ensure engineers. and implementation. that tuition on virtually any control technique can be provided. Courses are generally run as and when Course 4: Overview of Course 8: System required and can be conducted on your own premises or here in Modern Control Design Identification and Self- Glasgow. Techniques (Two Day) tuning control (One Day)

All of our courses are eligible for The course provides an overview of This course presents methods for CPD (Continuing Professional modern control design techniques System Identification and design of Development) as recognised by the ranging from Robust (H∞) to Self-tuning Controllers. major Engineering Institutes. Predictive Control, Adaptive Control and Fuzzy Logic Control. Course 9: Robust Course 1: Classical Controller Design (Two Control and PID Tuning Course 5: MATRIXx Day) Methods (One Day) (Three Day) The basic concepts of robustness of This is a basic training course for The course covers basic concepts of control system are introduced. Those control design and simulation using classical control and provides are analysed using classical design the MATRIX family of analysis, practical guidelines in x methods (for both single-input single- simulation and realisation tools. This implementation and tuning of PID output systems and multivariable results orientated course provides controllers. The course is aimed at systems) and compared with modern technician level. knowledge and skills that can be (H∞) approach. Available computer applied immediately. design packages are discussed. Course 2: Predictive Control (One Day) Course 6: Control Fundamentals for The course provides overview of Engineers (Six Day) Predictive Control techniques and then gives guidelines for analysis and The course starts from basic concepts tuning of predictive controllers. of signals, systems and computer simulation. The course covers Course 3: Control Theory Classical Control Systems Design Methods, PID control, Multivariable Fundamentals (Two Day) Control design, Robust Control techniques, Adaptive Control, The course provides training on an Predictive Control and Optimal engineering level in Classical Control

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 11 The ACT Club News

ACT Club Services and Deliverables to Members

The ACT Club provides its members with access to a very wide range of control technologies. This is accomplished through the various services that are listed below and which are FREE to members of the ACT Club.

• Regular Plenary meetings, training courses and awareness days on both basic and advanced subjects. Typically 2- 3 per annum, held centrally. • An annual training course at the company premises. This can be selected from our standard range covering virtually all topics in control, or tailored to meet your exact requirements. Typically 1-2 days duration. • Case Studies proposed by members are undertaken to investigate the usefulness of new technologies. Typically 3- 4 case studies are undertaken per annum. • Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that focus our efforts onto particular sectors of industry. Typically 1-2 meetings per annum. • Annual visits to provide consultancy advice at company premises. • Instant access to consultants is available over the telephone, fax or email. • The ACT Club’s own range of user-friendly software packages and toolboxes designed to make advanced control more accessible. • Access to commercial software and hardware rapid prototyping systems. • Detailed technical reports and easy to understand educational notes. • Regular conference reports from most of the major events worldwide on latest technology and results. • Regular mailings and newsletters.

Case Studies BRITISH STEEL: Gauge Control T&N TECHNOLOGY: Gauge for Cold Rolling (CS05/1993) Control of Cold Rolling Mill (CS13/1996) Case Studies investigate the ROCHE PRODUCTS: Non-linear applicability of advanced control Model Based Control for pH ROYAL ORDNANCE: An technologies to specific industrial (CS06/1993) Operational Planning Tool for the Royal Ordnance Nitro-Cellulose problems as proposed by the ACT MARINE SIG: Design of Robust Process (CS14/1995) Club members. These studies usually Ship Positioning Systems and take the form of a 1-3 month study, Advantages of Feedforward/ BARR & STROUD: Control of a which can be either simulation based Feedback Control (CS07/1995) High Resolution Laser Scanner or use real hardware to interface (CS15/1996) directly to the members’ plant. BRITISH AEROSPACE: Classical versus Modern Control Design MARINE SIG: Implementation The following Case Studies have Methods for Safety Critical Control Problems and Design of Ship been carried out and the associated Engineering Practice (CS08/1995) Autopilots (CS16/1996) reports can be made available to Club BRITISH STEEL: Multivariable MARINE SIG: Advanced and members. Decoupling Control of Collector Classical Control of Non-linear Ship ROLLS ROYCE: Control of a Gas Main Pressure on Coke Ovens Positioning Systems (CS17/1996) (CS09/1995) Turbine Engine (CS01/1992) ROYAL ORDNANCE: Expert BRITISH GAS: Self-Tuning Control ROCHE PRODUCTS: Roche System Based Training Simulator: of a Furnace Temperature Vitamin C Modelling Report Picrite Process Application (CS02/1992) (CS10/1995) (CS18/1997) BRITISH AEROSPACE: Pitch BRITISH GAS: British Gas UNILEVER RESEARCH: Control of a Generic Canard Delta Maintenance Reduction (CS11/1996) Supply Chain Management Into The Year 2000 (CS19/1998) Aircraft (CS03/1992) BRITISH PETROLEUM: BRITISH STEEL: Control of Introduction to Predictive Control SCOTTISH NUCLEAR: Control Reheat Furnace (CS04/1993) with Application to a Hydrogen Room Alarm Analysis Toolkit (On Reformer (CS12/1996) Going)

THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB Page 12 The ACT Club News

Freedom and the Use of Feedforward Tutorial on Variable Structure Technical Reports Control (TR12/1995) Control for Industrial Users (EN06/1995) Applications of Fuzzy Logic Control Technical Reports provide a detailed (TR13/1995) Simple Introduction to Kalman theoretical description of specific Filtering (EN07/1996) advanced control techniques. These Tutorial Introduction to l1 Analysis notes are written to be a concise and and Synthesis (TR14/1996) An Introduction to Discrete Event Simulation (EN08/1997) complete source of information that Comparison of the Design of a any engineer working in that Marine Autopilot using H∞ Design Mathematica and the Control particular field will find invaluable. and Quantitative Feedback Theory System Professional The following list gives all the ACT (TR15/1997) (EN09/1998) Club Technical Reports: Advances in Autotune Methods Tutorial Introduction to Application of Expert Systems in (TR16/1998) Quantitative Feedback Industrial control (ACT Report Theory (EN10/1998) 1/1990) Fibre Optics and their use in Field Trials Measurements A Tutorial of Polynomial LQG/H∞ Systems (TR17/1998) Optimal Control for Industrial Users (ACT Report 2/1990) ACT Club Software

A Tutorial of Digital LQG and H∞ Self-Tuning Control for Industrial The software packages listed below Applications (ACT Report 3/1990) Educational Notes provide intuitive user friendly tools for many of the common control µ -Analysis and Synthesis (An Educational Notes are a simple design laws. Comprehensive manuals overview of an Optimisation - Based introduction to the various control and examples are provided and Methodology for Multivariable subject areas that are becoming complementary training courses often Control Design) (ACT Club Report increasingly prominent and relevant exists. 4/1990) to industry. These introductory texts H∞ Robust Control Toolbox for are aimed at engineers with no prior Weighting Functions in H∞ Control MATLAB (ACT Report 5/1991) knowledge of the subject described and provide a basic understanding of Robust H2 Feedback/Feedforward Introduction to Non-linear Self the techniques involved. Control Design Toolbox for Tuning Control (ACT Report 6/1992) MATLAB (Polynomial Approach) The following list gives all the ACT An Introduction to the Control of Multivariable Robust Control Club Educational Notes: Non-linear Processes (ACT Report Toolbox for MATLAB 7/1993) What is H∞ Optimal Control ? Self-Tuning Control Software Mathematical Notations and Glossary (EN01/1990) (TR07/1993) Nonlinear Self-Tuning Control What is Robustness ? (EN02/1990) Software On the Performance of Generic Typical Robust Control Design EASY_KIT Toolbox for MATLAB Model Control (TR09/1993) Problems ? (EN03/1990) 4 DoF Non-linear Ship Modelling An introduction to Neural Networks What is Self-Tuning Control ? Package for MATRIXX (TR10/1994) (EN04/1990) Multivariable State-Space Long Range Predictive Control: A A Note on Smith Predictor for the Review (TR11/1994) Predictive Control Toolbox for Control Process Plants with Matlab Introduction to the Benefits of Significant Transport Delays Controller with Several Degrees of (EN05/1993) If you require more copies of The ACT Club News, then please complete the form below and return by to Lorna Fleming at 50 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1QE. tel.: (+44) 0141 553 1111, fax: (+44) 0141 553 1232, email: [email protected].

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THE ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CLUB