Polynomial NARX-based nonlinear model predictive control of modular chemical systems

The design of control systems for modular chemical systems typically requires the identification of nonlinear dynamic models. Mechanistic models for modular chemical systems are typically of high order, which results in high online computational cost when the models are incorporated into the nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) formulations developed for explicitly taking constraints into account. This article proposes the use of a particular class of nonlinear input–output models, polynomial nonlinear-autoregressive-with-exogenous-inputs (NARX) models, in the NMPC formulations. A machine learning algorithm, elastic net, is used to select which terms to include within the NARX polynomial series representation. The approach for constructing sparse predictive models and their use in real-time implementable NMPC are demonstrated in a two-input two-output chemical reactor case study. The Julia programming language is used to solve the NMPC optimization problem, resulting in low online computational cost.