Control of the temperature in a petroleum refinery heating furnace based on a robust modified Smith predictor

The robust control of the crude oil outlet temperature uniformity in a heating furnace of a petroleum refinery is addressed. A reliable dynamic model of the nominal process has been attained using a system identification procedure based on real-time data. This procedure yields a second order model with a dominant time-delay. A PI controller embedded in a modified Smith predictor structure is therefore proposed. Sensitivity and robustness...