Application of neural network decoupler in air-cushioned headbox control system

The headbox is the key hinge to link the pulp supply system with the sheet forming in the papermaking process. The primary parameters include the total pressure and the stock level which couple each other in the box, and they decide the distribution of the web cross-directional basis weight and influence the paper forming quality. Here taking widely used air-cushion type headbox as the plant, a new neural network (NN) decoupling control system is proposed to overcome the coupling relation between the total pressure and the stock level, decrease the adjusting time as well as to achieve robustness, fault-tolerance and the self-study ability in different environments. The practice has proved that the headbox control system based on NN decoupling algorithm could satisfy the industrial control requirements in the papermaking process well.