Predictive control applied to the operation of a dust collector in the drying process of pozzolan

This paper presents the implementation of a predictive control strategy applied to a Jet Pulse filter bag, which is used to reduce dust emissions to the environment in industrial processes, such as the falling material on conveyor belts. The filter bag is made up of a filter bag, a suction fan, and a dust collector. The control architecture consists of two coupled closed loops, which apply the same control signal to the system (voltage variation to regulate the speed of the fan) to regulate two different variables: i) differential pressure from the dirty and clean compartments of the dust collector; and, ii) input temperature of the filter bag. The experimental results obtained show an improved performance of the system when operating with the predictive control strategy compared to the classic PID controller and open-loop operation.