Design and experimental testing of a robust multivariable controller on a tokamak

• Published in: IEEE transactions on control systems technology Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 646 - 653
• Main Authors: Ariola, M., Ambrosino, G., Pironti, A., Lister, J.B., Vyas, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.09.2002; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer science; control theory; systems; Control system synthesis; Control theory. Systems; Decoupling; Design engineering; Digital control; Exact sciences and technology; Mathematical models; MIMO; Multivariable; Open loop systems; Plasma; Plasma confinement; Plasma currents; Plasma simulation; Process control. Computer integrated manufacturing; Proportional integral derivative; Robustness; Shape control; Simulation; Studies; Testing; Three-term control; Tokamak devices; Tokamaks; MIMO system; Integral proportional control; Multivariable control; Stabilization; H infinite control; Control synthesis; Modeling; Digital control; Robust control; Experimental design; Open loop; Robustness; Reactor; Multivariable system
• ISSN: 1063-6536; 1558-0865
• DOI: 10.1109/TCST.2002.801805

Describes the design and the experimental validation of a multivariable digital controller for a Tokamak, the Tokamak a configuration variable (TCV). The design of the controller is based on a linearized model of the plasma confined in the Tokamak. The plant is multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) and the various outputs are strongly coupled. Moreover the plant is open-loop unstable. The scope of the controller is to stabilize the plasma and to guarantee some closed-loop performance in terms of decoupling among the plant outputs. The proposed controller is composed of two nested loops: one is devoted to the vertical stabilization, the other, designed using the /spl Hscr//sub /spl infin// technique, guarantees the control of the plasma current and of the plasma shape. After massive simulations, this controller has been successfully tested on the plant. The experimental results show a significant improvement of the performance with respect to those obtained with a proportional integral derivative (PID) MIMO controller, that was used before on the plant.