Design of a Robust Digital Controller for a Nonlinear Heat-Transfer Process.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a systematic controller design which treats problems of system identification and robust controller design, for a nonlinear heat-transfer process. First, we construct a convenient parametric model of the object possessing the nonlinear characteristic. Then, by using the modelling error between the real system and the model as the dominant design parameter, we construct a robust control system based on a mixed-sensitivity approach. This method avoids the need to linearize of a nonlinear system and provides robustness against nonlinear input. The effectiveness of the control method is verified by both numerical simulation and direct experiment for producing a constantly rising temperature of a microheater.