A 'Model-on-Demand' identification methodology for non-linear process systems

Abstract

An identification methodology based on multi-level pseudo-random sequence (multi-level PRS) input signals and 'Model-on-Demand' (MoD) estimation is presented for single-input, single-output non-linear process applications. 'Model-on-Demand' estimation allows for accurate prediction of non-linear systems while requiring few user choices and without solving a non-convex optimization problem, as is usually the case with global modelling techniques. By allowing the user to incorporate a priori information into the specification of design variables for multi-level PRS input signals, a sufficiently informative input-output dataset for MoD estimation is generated in a 'plant-friendly' manner. The usefulness of the methodology is demonstrated in case studies involving the identification of a simulated rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor and a pilot-scale brine-water mixing tank. On the resulting datasets, MoD estimation displays performance comparable to that achieved via semi-physical modelling and semi-physical modelling combined with neural networks. The MoD estimator, however, achieves this level of performance with substantially lower engineering effort.