Our site recently deployed WS_21 patch to iFix as well as CTRL_06 patch to the controllers. Ops called last night befuddled by MPC-Pro controller on waste heat boiler - didn't seem to be behaving intuitively.
The "feedback" behavior (versus prediction) looks a little muted - actual temperature was low and the controller was still cutting fuel.
Also, the optimizer does not appear to be honoring the SP low limit or the ± SP range as configured.
Anyone (Lou Heavner ?) have any inside knowledge of possible fixes / enhancements that may have been applied? Just finished updating model so we're watching how it goes.
Thanks,
John
In reply to Jerry Harris:
So far no feedback. My troubles are not as severe, but still can't explain why it doesn't obey SP limits etc. Did you try adjusting the optimizer targets? I should say I also repeated step tests and generated new models for the controller in question, which was performance related. It's the only one where we use the optimizer at the moment, which I'd have to say is following our objectives and priorities, but while violating e.g. setpoint high / low limits.
Please share what you learn from the GSC if you can, thanks.
John, There may be a known problem, but I am not aware of it. There are a few things you might check, but I'll see if one of my in-house colleagues has seen this. Make sure your penalties weren't somehow changed. Make sure your constraint limits weren't changed and make sure some unexpected constraint isn't forcing the controller to act differently than you expect. If you are using MPCPro instead of MPCPlus, it is good practice to use shadow constraints. MV limits are always honored by the MPC, but the optimizer in MPCPro doesn't consider if the MV is limited or not. So if you configure a constraint variable that is the same as an MV (you should use SP, but you could use PV, of a flow loop PID, for example) and the same constraint limits as the MV and with a gain of 1 and DT and time constants of 0 for that MV pairing and a gain of 0 for all others, the optimizer will find a solution recognizing the constraint variable limits.
In reply to John Rezabek:
In reply to Lou Heavner:
For anyone coming across this still looking for an answer there is a confirmed issue depending on which controller type and which build number. If the MPC Pro block is running in an application station you will not see the issue. Refer to KBA NK-2100-0441 for details.
In reply to Scott Thompson: