Implementation of PID and MPC controllers for a quadruple tank process in a 3D virtual system, using the hardware in the loop technique.

Abstract

In this article, the design of an advanced MPC controller and a PID control have been proposed and implemented in a programmable logic controller (PLC) for a quadruple process of tanks, developing a comparison between the 2 controllers. The design of the controllers is carried out from the initial conditions of the process, the same conditions that must have an opening value of the valves between 60% - 80% to have interaction between the 4 interconnected tanks, the PID controllers were developed in Tia Portal V16 by means of programming in Ladder language using PID blocks for process control, while the MPC controller was designed using structured language SCL exported from Matlab-Simulink to Tia portal V16. The industrial process was virtualized in a unity 3D graphic engine, using the hardware in the loop technique and the Profinet protocol as well, it was possible to establish communication between the virtualized plant and the PLC. Finally, different tests were developed between the controllers, allowing to show that the MPC controller presents an optimal settling time and better compensation before disturbances.