Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/C526422/1
Title:	INDUSTRIAL NONLINEAR CONTROL AND REAL TIME APPLICATIONS
Principal Investigator:	Grimble, Professor MJ
Other Investigators:	Katebi, Dr R Ordys, Professor A
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr LL Giovanini Dr H Xia
Project Partners:	BAE Systems National instruments (Global)
Department:	Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Strathclyde
Scheme:	Platform Grants (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 May 2005	Ends:	30 April 2010	Value (£):	429,572
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Control Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Aerospace, Defence and Marine Energy Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The previous platform grant was awarded to move the Industrial Control Centre into the challenging area of the control of nonlinear systems. Many real life systems cannot be controlled satisfactorily using simple linear techniques and hence novel methods and control strategies are needed to deal with grossly non-linear behaviour. Examples of these systems range from car engines, high speed aircrafts, chemical processes, artificial hearts and eyes, to biological, environmental systems and electrical musical instruments. The nonlinear control methods are inherently morn complex and computationally intensive. It is with the recent advances in the speed of real time computer technology that has provided the tool for the development and implementation of smart and effective nonlinear control algorithms. The main aim of this research project is to investigate, develop and implement in real time, novel nonlinear control systems on industrial problems and to maintain and strengthen the internationally leading role of the Industrial Control Centre as a Centre of Excellence in this important area of engineering technology that applies across industrial sectors.The significant shift in the Centre's activities, based on previous Platform Grant funding, enabled a team of researchers to develop new skills and novel nonlinear control methods with great potential to solve complex control problems. The continuation of the Platform grant with a new proposed research programme is to enable the Centre to carry out strategic research in nonlinear system modelling and control algorithm structures for exploitation and real time implementation o f the results. This will enable the expertise to be absorbed and consolidate within the Centre and evaluated in practice by the industrial partners. The award of the new Platform Grant is important to maintain the continuity and stability of the research activities and to the Centre's internationally leading role in the area of control systems design and industrial applications.The new programme of rnnarch will also consider the real time implementation of these algorithms in a wide range of industries. The latest technology that enables morn advanced controllers to be applied, such as embedded systems, will be explored. For effective dissemination of the results of the project an annual two day international workshop will be organised and regular presentations will be made through the Advanced Control Technology Club (includes almost 40 companies) technical workshops programme.The outputs of this project will be in the form of a simulation and design facility and a number of real case study applications examples will b n collected in a library for wide dissemination t o universities and industry. T he industrial a valuation oft he algorithms will involve a number of studies including:pH monitoring and control with GlaxoSmithKlinn (GSK) at Irvine on a fermentation process to demonstrate both nonlinearestimation and the nonlinear control solutions, involving both Emerson and AK Engineering.Close cooperation with National Instruments in Nnwbury and Austin, Texas on the use of the latest real time control andembedded system technology for implementing nonlinear estimation and control algorithms..High speed servo-systems control utilising robotic flexible arm and test facilities provided by BAE Systems at Edinburgh withparticular emphasis on real time implementation issues.Application studies with Ford at Basildon and Bosch in Stuttgart involving use of embedded systems to implement the algorithms for automotive applications and/or evaluation on power trains with GM in Detroit using existing support.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.strath.ac.uk