A MPC for Start-up Phase Tension and Looper Control in Hot Strip Finishing Mills Using Continuation Approach

Abstract

Abstract TThis paper gives a design method for a model predictive control (MPC) approach based on a unified performance index throughout the start-up phase tension and looper control which consists of the non-contact and contact modes in order to suppress the deviation of the strip tension while the looper contacts with the strip as quickly as possible. We will formulate the control problem by using a MPC for a piecewise affine (PWA) system with the terminal condition and an unknown terminal time. However, in order to realize the feedback control using a receding horizon strategy, we have to solve nonlinear equations in an on-line manner as precisely as possible. Therefore, the paper gives a method using a continuation method for solving the nonlinear equations efficiently. The efficiency of the proposed method is shown through numerical simulations.