title: Model predictive control as a tool for improving the process operation of MSW combustion plants.
abstract: In this paper a feasibility study is presented on the application of the advanced control strategy called model predictive control (MPC) as a tool for obtaining improved process operation performance for municipal solid waste (MSW) combustion plants. The paper starts with a discussion of the operational objectives and control of such plants, from which a motivation follows for applying MPC to them. This is followed by a discussion on the basic idea behind this advanced control strategy. After that, an MPC-based combustion control system is proposed aimed at tackling a typical MSW combustion control problem and, using this proposed control system, an assessment is made of the improvement in performance that an MPC-based MSW combustion control system can provide in comparison to conventional MSW combustion control systems. This assessment is based on simulations using an experimentally obtained process and disturbance model of a real-life large-scale MSW combustion plant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Process Modeling and Control, TNO Science and Industry, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. martijn.leskens@tno.nl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leskens
authors.forename: L B M
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: van Kessel
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Bosgra
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D005544:Forecasting; D017745:Incineration; D008962:Models, Theoretical