An intelligent parallel control system structure for plants with multiple operating regimes

A parallel control system, consisting of a bank of concurrently running virtual control loops and a concurrency coordinator, is proposed for plants that operate in multiple, often radically di€erent regimes. The virtual control loops acting in parallel and exchanging information among themselves, are coordinated to obtain good closed-loop performance in each operating regime, and bumpless transfer during transitions. The basic strategy, overall structure, and the individual elements of the parallel control system are discussed; the design, analysis, and performance are illustrated via simulation of a chemical reactor designed to manufacture a product in three di€erent regimes.