Introduction to Model Based Predictive Control

Abstract

Model (Based) Predictive Control (MBPC or MPC) originated in the late seventies and has developed considerably since then. The term Model Predictive Control does not designate a specific control strategy but a very ample range of control methods which make an explicit use of a model of the process to obtain the control signal by minimizing an objective function. These design methods lead to linear controllers which have practically the same structure and present adequate degrees of freedom. The ideas appearing in greater or lesser degree in all the predictive control family are basically:Explicit use of a model to predict the process output at future time instants (horizon).Calculation of a control sequence minimizing an objective function.Receding strategy, so that at each instant the horizon is displaced towards the future, which involves the application of the first control signal of the sequence calculated at each step.