{"title":"Excitation-free closed-loop identification based on adaptive hysteresis loop width adjustment strategy","authors":"Chonggao Hu , Ridong Zhang , Furong Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aiming at the problem that the traditional system identification methods are not adaptive enough when the system model parameters change significantly, this paper proposes an excitation-free closed-loop identification method based on an adaptive hysteresis loop width adjustment (AHLWA) strategy. Firstly, the AHLWA strategy is proposed according to the direction of change of the mean value of the power spectrum (MVPS) of the input signal, which can respond to the trend of the system's dynamic characteristics and dynamically adjust the hysteresis loop width parameters in real time. Secondly, an excitation-free closed-loop identification method based on the AHLWA strategy was developed by integrating the AHLWA strategy with the prediction error method. In addition, to accurately quantify the model error and detect model parameter variations, an improved model error detection method is proposed to quantify the model error by using the unexcited closed-loop identification technique. The numerical example simulation results indicate that the MVPS of the proposed identification method increases from 0.01 to 0.25 compared to the relay feedback identification method, which ensures the continuous excitation of the input signals and significantly improves the identification accuracy when the system model parameters change significantly. Meanwhile, the proposed identification method is further validated by applying it to the temperature control system of industrial coking furnaces. In addition, the proposed identification method can update the benchmark model on time, which makes the system model error significantly lower than 30%, providing an effective solution for model error detection in industrial closed-loop systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 103552"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A cross-layer cooperative optimization framework for optimal scheduling of multi-grade PET fiber production","authors":"Jiale Zhang, Wenli Du, Xin Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fluctuations in the supply chain market of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers have been intensifying in recent years. Existing research on the production scheduling of PET plants is usually based on the assumption of a stationary supply chain market. However, these works ignore supply chain fluctuations and market competition, and the schedule obtained may become sub-optimal or infeasible in the real market. This paper considers using the game to represent the competition and cooperation relationships in the market among enterprises with limited supply capacity to obtain equilibrium supplies. Meanwhile, changes in the market prices will cause changes in the equilibrium supplies of the game. In addition, price prediction and supply decisions support the production schedule to achieve high economic efficiency. Therefore, we propose a cross-layer cooperative optimization framework between the supply chain layer and production chain layer for production scheduling optimization. In the supply chain layer, price trends are predicted by synchronous spatio-temporal relationship network, and equilibrium supplies are obtained through a multi-firm multi-product game. In the production chain layer, a production scheduling optimization model that integrates predicted prices and equilibrium supplies from the supply chain layer is established. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified on a real-world PET plant.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 103540"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zahra Ahangari Sisi , Mehdi Mirzaei , Sadra Rafatnia , Somayeh Jamshidi , Maryam Farbodi
{"title":"Novel observer-based fault-tolerant tracking control of input-constrained polymerization reactor with statistical analysis","authors":"Zahra Ahangari Sisi , Mehdi Mirzaei , Sadra Rafatnia , Somayeh Jamshidi , Maryam Farbodi","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The polymerization reaction within a continuous stirred tank reactor is modeled as a multivariable, nonlinear control process with input constraints. This study proposes a novel optimization-based approach for fault diagnosis and compensation, despite the uncertainties and disturbances present in the dynamic model of the polymerization reactor. This approach facilitates the design of a reliable model-based controller through the estimation of system perturbations. The proposed strategy mitigates external disturbances, time-varying uncertainties, and faults by incorporating complementary terms, calculated in real-time from output measurements, into the initial process model. To ensure robust performance of the fault detection mechanism, the threshold bounds for external disturbances and other uncertainties are determined stochastically using the Monte Carlo simulation approach. A continuous predictive controller is designed in closed form based on the updated reactor model, accounting for the presence of control input limitations. The constrained controller is formulated by solving an optimization problem using the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions. The boundedness of the tracking errors is established under the constrained multivariable controller. The results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits high sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness in fault detection and isolation for a nonlinear uncertain reactor. Simulations confirm the superior performance of the proposed observer-based fault-tolerant control system over existing passive and active actuator fault-tolerant control methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 103541"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Observer based dual-layer sliding mode fault-tolerant control for dissolved oxygen concentration in wastewater treatment process","authors":"Hongyan Yang, Qi Zou, Honggui Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fault-tolerant control (FTC) of dissolved oxygen concentration is the core technology to ensure the robustness of wastewater treatment process (WWTP). However, the dynamic characteristics of microbial community are difficult to be modeled accurately, and external disturbances such as fluctuations in influent water quality and equipment failures further increase the control difficulty. Therefore, how to effectively compensate for the unmodeled dynamics and improve the system robustness is still a key problem to be solved in the field of WWTP control. In order to address this problem, this paper proposes an FTC method for dissolved oxygen concentration that integrates a dual sliding mode observation mechanism and an intelligent optimization strategy. Firstly, a state observer with an adaptive compensation mechanism is constructed based on the sliding mode control (SMC) method to realize the simultaneous estimation of dissolved oxygen concentration and unmodeled dynamics. Secondly, an adaptive robust fault-tolerant controller is designed by combining the Lyapunov stability theory. Then, a double sliding mode surface containing observation error and control error is established. Thirdly, a differential evolutionary algorithm is introduced to perform a global optimization of the robust gain parameters, which transforms the complex robustness problem into an optimal gain solving problem. Simulation experiments are conducted to compare the fault-tolerant control effect of different control methods with the proposed method, and the results verify the superiority of the method proposed in this paper.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 103538"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Operational zone-specific univariate alarm design for incipient faults","authors":"Mohsen Asaadi , Fan Yang , Weichi Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alarm systems are essential components of industrial process monitoring, supporting both safety and operational efficiency by detecting deviations from normal conditions. Traditional alarm design methods often assume stationary, which limits their ability to reflect the evolving nature of incipient faults. These faults develop gradually and, if not properly addressed, can lead to critical failures. Timely and accurate detection is therefore vital to minimize false alarms, reduce missed detections, and improve response effectiveness. This study proposes a time-variant statistical modeling framework to characterize the behavior of process variables affected by incipient faults. A new alarm system design methodology is introduced, guided by three key performance indices: Missed Alarm Rate (MAR), False Alarm Rate (FAR), and Average Alarm Delay (AAD). The methodology uses the Narrowest Over Threshold change-point detection technique to segment the process into distinct operational zones, including the Normal Operating Zone (NOZ), Rising Zone (RZ), Fault Zone (FZ), and Return to Normal (RTN). By employing a piecewise time-variant model, the alarm system’s performance is assessed in a manner that captures local trends and transitions. The resulting indices are dynamic, offering a more detailed projection of the process variable’s behavior over time. In particular, the AAD metric reflects realistic delay patterns and avoids the misleading interpretations often associated with stationary models. The proposed method is validated through Monte Carlo simulations and demonstrated using the Tennessee Eastman Process benchmark. Results show that the time-variant model provides a more accurate and interpretable representation of process dynamics and alarm behavior than traditional approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 103536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A physics-based multi-regime approach for estimation of head losses in operating hydropower plants","authors":"Augustin Alonso , Gerard Robert , Gildas Besançon","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, the problem of estimating head losses in the hydraulic feeding system of a hydropower plant is considered. Accurate head loss assessment is crucial for performance monitoring, efficiency optimization, and predictive maintenance of these critical energy infrastructures. To this end, a nonlinear state-space model based on fundamental physical principles is first established. Recognizing the challenges of observability with a full complex model, this paper proposes a multi-regime modelling strategy, where the full model is particularized into simplified forms suitable for different operational scenarios (normal operation, quasi-static conditions, and plant shutdown). This approach facilitates the estimation of specific head loss coefficients or their combinations. Various estimation techniques are then explored and applied to these models, primarily based on Kalman filters for state-observer approaches and direct least squares for regression-based methods, all integrating real-time measurements. The efficacy of these methods is validated through comprehensive simulations and tests using operational data collected from an industrial hydropower facility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"154 ","pages":"Article 103528"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144932537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Safe control strategy for energy storage cluster assisted load frequency control based on reinforcement learning","authors":"Lei Xu , Jinxing Lin , Xiang Wu , Rong Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The large-scale integration of renewable energy into the power grid introduces strong stochastic disturbances, posing new challenges to the safety of load frequency control (LFC). To deal with this issue, a safety control strategy is proposed for lithium-ion energy storage cluster into LFC. First, to achieve efficient frequency control with the energy storage cluster, a command allocation strategy for energy storage cluster and a control strategy for units are proposed, with comprehensive consideration of the state of charge, state of health and the real-time grid frequency deviation. Next, both the maximum frequency deviation (MFD) and the rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) are picked as dynamic response performance indexes to ensure frequency safety. Then, a novel LFC controller based on Safety Enhanced Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (SE-DDPG) reinforcement learning algorithm is designed. The safety model of SE-DDPG which integrated with safety prediction network and intrinsic curiosity module (ICM) can enhance the exploratory capability while improving the safety and reliability of the policy. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed safe LFC strategy is validated by numerical simulation. Compare with conventional proportional integral control, the proposed strategy reduces the MFD and the root mean square frequency deviation by 41.38 % and 22.74 % in the random noise scene. In the step load scene, MFD and the max RoCoF are reduced by 46.88 % and 48.15 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"154 ","pages":"Article 103537"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An offline-to-online reinforcement learning framework with trajectory-guided exploration for industrial process control","authors":"Jiyang Chen, Na Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reinforcement learning (RL) in industrial process control faces critical challenges, including limited data availability, unsafe exploration, and the high cost of high-fidelity simulators. These issues limit the practical adoption of RL in process control systems. To address these limitations, this paper presents a comprehensive framework that combines offline pre-training with online finetuning. Specifically, the framework first employs offline RL method to learn conservative policies from historical data, preventing overestimation of unseen actions. It then transitions to fine-tuning using online RL method with a mixed replay buffer that gradually shifts from offline to online data. To further enhance safety during online exploration, this work introduces a trajectory-guided strategy that leverages timestamped sub-optimal expert demonstrations. Rather than replacing agent actions entirely, the proposed method computes a weighted combination of agent and expert actions based on a decaying intervention rate. Both components are designed as modular additions that can be integrated into existing actor-critic algorithms without structural modifications. Case studies on penicillin fermentation and simulated moving bed (SMB) processes demonstrate that the proposed framework outperforms baseline algorithms in terms of learning efficiency, stability, computation costs, and operational safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"154 ","pages":"Article 103535"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Memory-guided reconstruction for generalized zero-shot industrial fault diagnosis","authors":"Zhengwei Hu , Wei Xiang , Jingchao Peng , Haitao Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recently, zero-shot learning (ZSL) has emerged as a promising method in the industrial fault diagnosis. However, restricted by the strong bias problem, unseen class faults tend to be classified as seen class faults in the generalized zero-shot learning (GZSL) task. To address this issue, a novel method called memory-guided reconstruction (MGR) is proposed for generalized zero-shot industrial fault diagnosis. In MGR, memory prototypes of seen classes are first learned by a self-organizing map (SOM) and stored in a memory module. During the training, the encoding of a sample is obtained from the encoder as a query. Instead of directly reconstructing from this query, a support memory aggregated from relevant memory prototypes of the query is delivered to the decoder for reconstruction. A specific <em>memory alignment matrix</em> is designed to measure the consistency between the query and support memory. At the test stage, unseen classes tend to produce higher reconstruction errors than seen classes because the support memory is acquired from seen class memory prototypes. A new “<em>identify-classify</em>” learning paradigm is adopted: <em>identify</em> the domain (i.e. seen or unseen) of the test sample based on the strengthened reconstruction error, and further <em>classify</em>the sample within the identified domain. Extensive experiments on the benchmark dataset demonstrate the significant superiority of MGR. Moreover, MGR achieves competitive results compared to supervised learning methods. The code of MGR is available at <span><span>https://github.com/htz-ecust/memory-guided-autoencoder</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"154 ","pages":"Article 103531"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Obscured by terminology: Hidden parallels in direct methods for open-loop optimal control","authors":"Susanne Sass , Alexander Mitsos","doi":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jprocont.2025.103513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Active research on optimal control methods comprises the developments of research groups from various fields, including control, mathematics, and process systems engineering. Although there is a consensus on the classification of the main solution methods, different terms are often used for the same method. For example, solving optimal control problems with control discretization and embedded state integration may be called sequential method or direct single shooting. Equally severely, the same term may be used ambiguously: Is control vector parameterization a synonym for control discretization or for direct single shooting? Both misleading distinctions and ambiguity complicate the scientific discourse. Thus, we delineate standard terms from open-loop optimal control in this tutorial. More precisely, we formulate and challenge hypotheses on the terminology of direct methods, i.e., solution methods using control discretization combined with state integration and/or state discretization. In particular, we point out the parallel of the embedded state integration with a numerical integration scheme and the reduced-space formulation of approaches using state discretization. Taking a step further towards integrated scheduling and control problems, we additionally investigate the similarities and differences between the discrete-time solution of optimal control problems and optimal quasi-steady operation. In this context, we also hint on the discrete-time representation in scheduling which refers to the handling of controls rather than the handling of process dynamics. Rather than concluding with the “correct” term to use, this tutorial concludes with recommendations on how to avoid misunderstandings in the versatile research community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50079,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Process Control","volume":"154 ","pages":"Article 103513"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}