First Principles Modelling of a Pasteurisation Plant for Model Predictive Control

This paper investigates the physical modelling of an industrial pasteuriser plant from a control-oriented point of view. The investigated pasteuriser is based on plate heat exchangers (PHE) of type Clip 10-RM and brazed heat exchangers (BHE) of type CB76 from Alfa Laval. The traditionally highly complex and over parameterised models established for design, dimensioning, and scientific purposes are not suitable for use within a control strategy in their present form. In this paper, a simplified first order first principles (FP) model of the PHE sections as well as the BHE heaters constructing the pasteuriser are developed. An integrated model of the entire pasteuriser is then constructed combining the first principles model obtained for different pasteuriser components. The pasteuriser model parameters are identified, and the model is validated using data obtained during five test protocol sessions performed on an industrial process. Finally an example of a model predictive control (MPC) strategy, using the developed model, is briefly introduced, results are shown and conclusions are drawn