MPC vs. ARC—Not an ‘either/or’ decision

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01.01.2011 | Hill, D., ARC Adivsory Group, Dedham, Massachusetts

Keywords: [process control] [models] [control systems]

Overview.

In the 35 years since they introduced distributed control systems (DCSs), automation system suppliers have provided the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) and other customers with far more than the ubiquitous piping and instrumentation diagram (PID) control-function block in their suite of available function blocks. Many of the additional DCS function blocks originated back in the days before multivariable or model-predictive control (MPC) was commercially available. We now refer to putting together functions such as lead-lag, dead time or selectors to formulate advanced control as advanced regulatory control (ARC). ARC and MPC are both types of advanced process control (APC).

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