A novel robust liquid level controller for coupled-tanks systems using artificial hydrocarbon networks

Abstract

This paper proposes a robust liquid-level controller for coupled-tanks systems when dealing with variable discharge rates at the secondary tank, based on a hybrid fuzzy inference system that uses artificial hydrocarbon networks at the defuzzification step, so-called fuzzy-molecular control. The design methodology of the proposed controller is presented and discussed. In addition, a case study was run over the CE105 TecQuipment coupled-tanks system in order to implement and validate the fuzzy-molecular controller proposed in that work. A comparative evaluation with the proposed controller, a conventional PID controller specifically designed for this system and a QFT robust controller, was done. Also, a performance evaluation in terms of robustness, reference-tracking in a fixed operating point and reference-tracking in a variable operating point on-the-fly was run and analyzed. Results conclude that the proposed fuzzy-molecular controller deals with uncertainty and noise, can handle dynamics in operating point, a model of the plant is not required, and it is easy and simple to implement in comparison with other controllers in literature. To this end, the proposed fuzzy-molecular liquid-level controller inherits characteristics from fuzzy controllers and artificial hydrocarbon networks in order to implement an advanced robust and intelligent control system.