Modelon delivers software technology for optimal process control

MODRIO brings online optimal operation to the energy industry

Modelon finalizes contribution to the three year European ITEA research project MODRIO (Model Driven Physical Systems Operation).

As part of the MODRIO project, Modelon developed several tools for optimal process control and applied them to increase flexibility of power plant operation.

The Modelon deliverables for the project include the following:

  • Demonstrators for thermal power plant optimization to reduce time and cost of start-ups and  increase the income from electricity sales.
  • A tool for Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) for optimization-based process controls
  • A tool for state estimation from sensor measurement data using Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) and a prototype for Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for the NMPC applications.
  • A tool for grey-box-identification, to estimate the values of unknown or uncertain parameters in process models.
  • A new Python-based optimization toolchain, for integration of the tool suite.

All results of the project have been implemented in the open source code platform JModelica.org.

The JModelica.org framework for state estimation and optimal control.

The tools have been tested on thermal power plant applications in collaboration with Vattenfall and Siemens. NMPC has also been tested in real time application in lab scale in collaboration with the Department of Automatic Control, Lund University.

“The approach of combining tool development with applications to create demonstrators together with industrial partners proved to be very fruitful”, says JModelica.org developer Toivo Henningsson.

The project demonstrates Modelon’s position as a key player in the field of optimization-based control for physical systems.

Do not hesitate to contact us  if you want to find out more about the developed capabilities!

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