Real Time Model Predictive Control in JModelica.org
Sebastian Ekström · Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University) · 2015
In this thesis a framework for real-time model predictive control has been developed for JModelica.org, which is an open-source platform for simulation and analysis of dynamical systems. Model predictive control (MPC) is an advanced optimizationbased control method that uses a model of the process being controlled to optimize control. The framework was tested on three different processes, real and simulated, and its performance was compared with that of an linear-quadratic regulator (LQR), which is a simpler type of controller that uses multiplication with a pre-calculated matrix to calculate the control signal from the state vector. The MPC controller was found to perform as well as or better than the LQR controller in all cases, with the main improvements being seen in the MPC controller’s ability to handle process constraints or when far from the LQR controller’s linearization point; however, the LQR controller was much faster in calculating the control signal. This also served as a first test of using JModelica.org to perform MPC on real processes, and although it performed well on the two it was tested on, further work will be needed if the MPC framework should be able to handle processes that are much faster or more complex.