Linear Analysis and Control of a Boiler-Turbine Unit

Boiler-turbine units are multivariable nonlinear systems. The control of such systems is not easy considering the practical tuning, implementing and maintaining problems. In this paper, the design of a linear controller for the Dalate No.4 unit is reported. Based on a nonlinear model of the unit, we analyze the nonlinearity of the unit and propose to choose the appropriate operating points so that a linear controller can achieve wide-range performance. Simulation results and field tests show that the designed controller works well for the specific range of load variations.