Design and experimental realization of a robust decentralized PI controller for a coupled tank system

This paper presents design and realization of a robust decentralized PI controller for regulating the level of a coupled tank system. The proposed controller is designed based on a predefined reference transfer function model in which we adopt a frequency matching of actual and reference models. Realization of control algorithms for a multivariable system is often complicated owing to uncertainties in the process dynamics. In this paper, initially a frequency response fitting model reduction technique is adopted to obtain a First Order Plus Dead Time (FOPDT) model of each higher order decoupled subsystem. Further, using the obtained reduced order model, the proposed robust decentralized PI controller is designed. The stability and performance of the proposed controller are verified by considering multiplicative input and output uncertainties. The performance of the proposed robust decentralized controller has been compared with that of a decentralized PI controller. To validate the performance of the proposed control approach, real-time experimentation is pursed on a Feedback Instrument manufactured coupled tank system.