ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors start with two special cases of model-based control, namely, the feed forward control and the delay compensator. Both strategies make use of the process model information directly in obtaining the control law. The authors introduce the internal model control concept that offers a general framework for designing model-based controllers. The Internal Model Control (IMC) approach is based on an assumed process model and relates the controller settings to the model parameters in a straightforward manner. As the model transfer function is added and subtracted from the loop, the net effect on the loop is nil. The ultimate model-based control design framework is offered by the IMC paradigm that explicitly uses the process model in computing the control action. One of the key drawbacks of model-based control is its exclusive reliance on process models that may not necessarily reflect the dynamic behavior of the actual process.
