In the classic example of a steam engine governor an increase in speed immediately results in a decrease in steam supplied, so slowing the engine. In many instances there is a considerable lag between the corrective action (decrease in steam) and resumption of the correct state. For example, the output of a base chemical plant may take minutes or even hours to respond to pressure of temperature changes imposed on the plant. In these cases predictive control is required. Without a detailed running history of the chemical plant (in this example) it is then necessary to use model-based predictive control (rather than experience based predictive control). This book is devoted to all aspects of Model-Based Predictive Control, including new developments in the theory of the subect and current applications of MBPC to real processes. Topics included are: algorithm developments, industrial applications, and comparison with other approaches.
