Multi-agent control of an isotope separation columns cascade

The control of an isotope separation column is a difficult and challenging task, being a highly nonlinear plant with large time constants and time delays. The control of a cascade of three such columns is more difficult due to the interdependences between the columns. Previous research proved that fractional order PID controllers have been successfully implemented for a single isotope separation column. The present paper addresses the development of a multi-agent system to control the three columns cascade with fractional PD controllers. Each column is controlled using an agent. The agents communicate to exchange information and cooperate to achieve their goals. The simulations are performed using Truetime software and show good results.