Control of negative gain nonlinear processes using sliding mode controllers with modified Nelder-Mead tuning equations

This paper proposes a sliding mode controller (SMC) with modified Nelder-Mead tuning, for the control of nonlinear chemical processes, which are represented as first order plus dead time process with negative gain (FOPDT-NG). In the controller design, the SMC controller parameter in continuous part is obtained based on the time constant and dead time of the process, and controller parameters in the discontinuous part is obtained using Nelder-Mead tuning equations. Even though the controller parameters of conventional SMC are tuned using Nelder-Mead tuning, zero dynamics are noticed in the closed loop response of few FOPDT-NG processes and, with few other FOPDT-NG processes tracking of set-point is unachievable. This work proposes modification in the Nelder-Mead tuning equations using Nelder-Mead optimization to overcome the above disadvantages. Four different types of FOPDT-NG processes are considered in this work, and for every type the Nelder-Mead tuning equations are modified, for the design of proposed controllers. The performances of proposed controllers are evaluated for FOPDT-NG processes and also for three different chemical processes taken from literature. A simulation results demonstrate that, the proposed controller prevailed the performance of the conventional SMC in tracking the set-point and the elimination of zero dynamic behavior of FOPDT-NG processes. Hence, the proposed controllers provide improved closed loop performances as compared to the conventional SMC.