Proceedings of the 18th World Congress

The International Federation of Automatic Control

Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011

Feedback Tracking Control of

Continuous Reheating Furnaces
A. Steinboeck ∗ D. Wild ∗∗ A. Kugi ∗
∗
Automation and Control Institute, Vienna University of Technology,
Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
(e-mail: {steinboeck,kugi}@acin.tuwien.ac.at)
∗∗
AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke, Werkstrasse 1,
66763 Dillingen/Saar, Germany (e-mail: daniel.wild@dillinger.biz)

Abstract: A Lyapunov-based MIMO state feedback controller is developed for slab temper-
atures in a continuous, fuel-fired reheating furnace. Following an early lumping approach, the
computationally simple tracking controller is designed for a nonlinear, switched dynamic model
that captures both conductive and radiative heat transfer. The controller modifies reference
trajectories of furnace temperatures and is part of a cascade control scheme. Given some
nonrestrictive conditions, exponential stability is ensured, even under non-steady state operating
conditions. The capabilities of the controller are demonstrated by means of an example problem.

Keywords: Feedback control, Nonlinear systems, MIMO, Two-degrees-of-freedom control,

Lyapunov methods, Exponentially stable, Steel industry, Slab reheating furnace.

1. INTRODUCTION characterized by the following key performance indicators:

Continuous fuel-fired reheating furnaces are used in the
steel industry for heating up steel products, mainly slabs,
before they undergo hot working processes. The term
continuous means that the slabs are continuously con-
veyed through the furnace while being reheated. How-
ever, the slab movement itself may be discontinuous as
in the pusher-type slab furnace shown in Fig. 1. Inside
the furnace, the slabs slide on steam-cooled skids so that
they can be reheated from both the bottom and the top.
The furnace represents a switched, nonlinear, distributed
parameter system with multiple inputs, multiple outputs,
uncertain physical interdependencies, and sometimes un-
known future operating conditions. Hence, control design
can be a challenging task.
energy consumption, reheating quality, processing costs,
product throughput, scale formation, and decarburization.
The discontinuous nature of the slab reheating process
(intermittent movement of slabs, variations in terms of
size, steel grade, material properties, initial temperature,
desired final temperature, scheduled reheating time) ren-
ders tailored control solutions indispensable (cf. Carpenter
and Proctor (1987); Hollander and Zuurbier (1982); Roth
et al. (1986); Shenvar (1994)). The control performance
may be limited by temperature constraints, bounds on
control variables (fuel and air supply of the burners), and
unforeseen production halts or delays, maybe caused by
upstream or downstream process steps.
1.2 Existing Furnace Control Schemes

+ Top T + Top Top Chen et al. (2008); Ezure et al. (1997); Hollander and
Tz,1 ···
zone 1 z,2 zone 2 zone Nz Zuurbier (1982); Steinboeck et al. (2011b) proposed open-
Refractory loop temperature control schemes for continuous slab re-
wall Wj +
Slab jend Slab j Tz,N z heating furnaces. In most cases, the controller defines ref-
y Dj qj+ Slab jstart erence trajectories of furnace temperatures, which are then
z (feedback) controlled by some subordinate controllers.
Pusher − − qj− − However, these open-loop approaches may be inadequate
Tz,1 Tz,2 Skids Tz,N z if the plant exhibits significant uncertainties.
System
boundary Bottom Bottom Bottom Dahm and Klima (2002); Doss et al. (1992); Ezure et al.
zone 1 zone 2 ··· zone Nz (1997); Facco et al. (1990); Honner et al. (2001); Knoop
and Moreno Pérez (1994); Leden (1986); Marino et al.
Fig. 1. Continuous slab reheating furnace (not to scale, (2004); Pedersen and Wittenmark (1998); Shenvar (1994);
symbols defined in Sec. 2). Staalman (2004); Vode et al. (2008); Wang et al. (2004);
Westdorp (1988); Yoshitani et al. (1994) reported on feed-
back control for slab temperatures, which is usually real-
1.1 Control Task ized as a cascade control scheme. Especially for non-steady
state operating conditions, trajectory tracking control may
Stimulated by economic reasons and increasing demands be required. Doss et al. (1992); Leden (1986); Rixin and
in terms of product quality and diversity, furnace control is Baolin (1992); Staalman (2004); Veslocki et al. (1986);

978-3-902661-93-7/11/$20.00 © 2011 IFAC 11744 10.3182/20110828-6-IT-1002.01639

18th IFAC World Congress (IFAC'11)
Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011
Vode et al. (2008) described two-degrees-of-freedom con-
trol of reheating furnaces. In most cases, the feedback law
is based on control errors in terms of slab temperatures.
Pedersen and Wittenmark (1998) developed a stabilizing
nonlinear feedback control law for a single furnace zone.
The control task may be complicated by the fact that the
slab temperature profile cannot be measured. Therefore,
estimation algorithms are required for monitoring the slab
temperatures (cf. Fitzgerald and Sheridan (1972); Leden
(1986); Wick and Köster (1999); Wild et al. (2007); Wild
(2010)). Temperature feedback may alternatively be ob-
tained from measurements of the slab surface tempera-
tures (Doss et al. (1992); Honner et al. (2001); Marino
et al. (2004); Roth et al. (1986); Shenvar (1994); Staalman
(2004); Veslocki et al. (1986); Wang et al. (2004)), e. g., by
means of radiation pyrometry, but the achievable accuracy
is uncertain.
1.3 Motivation and Method
Many published furnace temperature controllers are de-
signed for steady-state operation or are based on relatively
simple mathematical models, e. g., models that neglect
the dynamic interaction between furnace zones. Moreover,
most publications do not feature a systematic proof of sta-
bility. This work aims at filling this gap with a Lyapunov-
based state feedback controller.
The considered mathematical model, which is briefly sum-
marized in Sec. 2, accounts for the transient, nonlinear,
switched MIMO behavior of the system. A cascade control
system with two-degrees-of-freedom control is outlined in
Sec. 3, and Sec. 4 presents the straightforward design of a
feedback controller for slab temperatures. The developed
control law can cope with time-dependent reference tra-
jectories and captures the thermal interaction within the
furnace interior. The positive effect of the feedback con-
troller is demonstrated by means of an example problem
in Sec. 5.
2. MATHEMATICAL MODEL
Wild et al. (2009); Wild (2010) developed a comprehensive
analytical model of the considered slab reheating furnace.
It is based on the energy balance taking into account
thermal radiation, bulk flow of gases, heat input from
the burners, heat losses through furnace walls, the skids,
and the funnel, as well as the slabs, which also represent
heat sinks. In the real furnace, the model is implemented
in a state observer for estimating slab temperatures. In
this work, it will be utilized as a simulation environment
for testing the suggested controller. Since the model of
Wild et al. (2009) is mathematically too complex as to
be used for controller design, a simplified mathematical
model published by Steinboeck et al. (2010) will be used
in this paper. The model captures thermal radiation in the
furnace and heat conduction within the slabs.
Consider that each slab is uniquely identified by an index
j ∈ N and that all slabs j ∈ J = {jstart , . . . , jend } are
currently reheated in the furnace. For a concise notation,
Ns = |J| and the range J¯ = jstart , . . . , jend will be used.
Thus, j = J¯ is tantamount to j = jstart , . . . , jend . The
slab j is inside the furnace during the period [tj,0 , tj,1 ],
11745
and times when the row of slabs is pushed forward are
summarized in the series (tsl ) with l ∈ N. Whenever slabs
¯ and Ns are updated.
enter or leave the furnace, J, J,
In the coordinate system shown in Fig. 1, the slab j has
the geometric dimensions Dj and Wj along the directions
y and z, respectively. The local coordinate y is 0 at the
mid-plane of the respective slab. The furnace volume is
separated into Nz = 5 zones below the slabs and Nz = 5
zones above the slabs.
2.1 Heat Conduction Inside the Slabs
The temperature profile Tj (y, t) inside the slab j is de-
scribed by the 1-dimensional heat conduction problem
∂Tj ∂ 2 Tj
ρj c j = λj y ∈ (−Dj /2, Dj /2), t > tj,0
∂t ∂y 2
with boundary conditions qj∓ (t) = ∓λj ∂Tj /∂y|y=∓Dj /2
and the initial condition Tj (y, tj,0 ) = Tj,0 (y). The mass
density ρj , the specific heat capacity cj , and the thermal
conductivity λj are considered as constant. Here, qj− (t)
and qj+ (t) are the heat fluxes into the bottom and the
top surface of the slab. Any quantities associated with the
bottom and the top half of the furnace are labeled by the
superscripts − and + , respectively.
Steinboeck et al. (2009, 2010) solved the heat conduc-
tion problem using the Galerkin method with the trial
functions hj,1 (y) = 1, hj,2 (y) = 2y/Dj , and hj,3 (y) =
(2y/Dj )2 − 1/3. The temperature profile inside the slabs is
approximated as Tj (y, t) = [hj,1 (y), hj,2 (y), hj,3 (y)]xj (t),
where the vector xj (t) = [xj,1 (t), xj,2 (t), xj,3 (t)]T accom-
modates the Galerkin coefficients. The state vector
"
1 0 0
#
zj (t) = 1 −1 2/3 xj (t),
1 1 2/3
which contains the mean temperature T̄j (t), the bottom
surface temperature Tj (−Dj/2, t), and the top surface tem-
perature Tj (Dj/2, t), respectively, represents the tempera-
ture state of the slab j. Choosing the slab surface tem-
peratures as state variables is convenient because they
are needed for analyzing the radiative heat exchange. The
corresponding initial value problem is obtained as
żj (t) = aj zj (t) + b− − + +
j qj (t) + bj qj (t) t > tj,0
with
0 0 0 1
" # " #
12λj ∓ 1
aj = − −5 3 2 , bj = 6±3
ρj cj Dj2 −5 2 3 ρj c j D j 6 ∓ 3
(cf. Steinboeck et al. (2010)) and the initial value zj (tj,0 ) =
zj,0 = [T̄j (tj,0 ), Tj (−Dj/2, tj,0 ), Tj (Dj/2, tj,0 )]T . Steinboeck
et al. (2009, 2010) proposed a similar but nonlinear model
that captures the influence of temperature-dependent pa-
rameters cj and λj .
Summarizing the states and the heat inputs of all slabs
j ∈ J in the vectors z(t) = [zjTstart (t), . . . , zjTend (t)]T and
q ∓ (t) = [qj∓start (t), . . . , qj∓end (t)]T , respectively, yields the
sparse system
ż(t) = Az(t) + B − q − (t) + B + q + (t) (1)
for the whole furnace (cf. Steinboeck et al. (2010)) with
18th IFAC World Congress (IFAC'11)
Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011
B ∓ = δi,j b∓
   
A = δi,j aj i=J¯,j=J¯ , j i=J¯,j=J¯ ,
and the Kronecker delta δi,j . The components and sizes of
z(t), A, B ∓ , and q ∓ (t) may change at the times (tsl ).
2.2 Radiation Heat Transfer in the Furnace
The dynamic subsystems describing the slabs are coupled
by thermal radiation inside the furnace. Steinboeck et al.
(2010) used the assumption of gray-body radiation in a
non-participating gaseous medium and the net radiation
method (cf. Baehr and Stephan (2006)) for analyzing the
radiation energy balance. The furnace zone temperatures
∓
Tz,i (t) (i ∈ {1, . . . , Nz }), which represent a combination
of local flue gas temperatures and surface temperatures
of the furnace walls, are considered to be homogeneously
distributed within the furnace zone i. They are summa-
∓ ∓
rized in the vector Tz∓ (t) = [Tz,i (t), . . . , Tz,N (t)]T , which
z In accordance with the requirements of other process steps
serves as model input. Steinboeck et al. (2010) derived the
simple, static radiative heat exchange model

4
q ∓ (t) = Pz∓ (t) Tz∓ (t) + Ps∓ (t)M ∓ (z(t))4
with the matrix M ∓ = [δ3i,j+(1±1)/2 ]i=1...Ns ,j=1...3Ns . The
model furnishes the net heat fluxes q ∓ (t) separately for the
bottom and the top half of the furnace. The 4th powers
in (2) are a consequence of the Stefan-Boltzmann law (cf.
Baehr and Stephan (2006)) and have to be applied to each
component of the respective vector.
The matrices Pz∓ (t) and Ps∓ (t) depend on the geometry
and the radiative properties of the slab surfaces and the
furnace walls. Their computation is particularly simple if
a 2-dimensional configuration (yz-plane) is assumed (cf.
Steinboeck et al. (2010) for a justification of this assump-
tion). Because the slabs change their position, Pz∓ (t) and
Ps∓ (t) are piecewise constant with changes occurring only
at the times (tsl ). In the sequel, the argument t is omitted
whenever confusion is improbable.
Consider that Sj is the base area of slab j. As a con-
sequence of the reciprocity relations of radiation heat
transfer (cf. Baehr and Stephan (2006)), diag{[Sj ]j=J¯}Ps∓
is symmetric. By analyzing the monotonicity properties
of (2), Steinboeck et al. (2010) showed why the proposed
radiation model is in line with the second law of thermody-
∓
namics. They also demonstrated that Ps∓ = [Ps,i,j ]i=J¯,j=J¯
is a Hurwitz matrix – a fact that will be utilized for
controller design.
2.3 Assembled Model
Eqs. (1) and (2) constitute a nonlinear state-space model.
Steinboeck et al. (2010) reported that this model is expo-
nentially stable if Ps− = Ps+ and a rather weak condition
on the relation between ρj , cj , λj , and Dj are satisfied.
Therefore, the furnace system can be open-loop controlled
(cf. Steinboeck et al. (2011a,b)). However, it is expected
that the control performance (mainly the reheating quality
of the slabs) can be improved by feedback control, as
proposed in the following.
3. CASCADE TEMPERATURE CONTROL
The primary objective of controlling a slab reheating fur-
nace is that the slabs reach their desired final temperature
Plant
controller T̃z∓ Air, Tj
Zone fuel
Feed- T̄z∓ Furnace Tz∓
Feedback controller
forward z̃ e
controller
controller − +
z State
observer
Fig. 2. Cascade control of a slab reheating furnace.
state z̃j (tj,1 ) upon being discharged from the furnace.
Moreover, there are several physical and safety limits on
both the slab and the furnace zone temperatures. In view
of the complexity of the control task, a cascade control
scheme as outlined in Fig. 2 seems apposite.
like the rolling mill, the superordinate plant controller
defines the order, the movement, and the desired final tem-
(2) peratures T̃j,end of slabs. The outer control loop generates
reference signals T̃z∓ (t) for the zone temperatures, which
are feedback controlled by individual zone controllers (in-
ner loop). In the inner loop, PI controllers regulate the
combustion air and fuel supply to the burners. Since the
furnace zone temperatures Tz∓ (t) exhibit a fast response
characteristic and are measured by thermocouples, they
are a good choice for interfacing between the two con-
trol loops. As usual for cascade control, the assumption
Tz∓ (t) = T̃z∓ (t), i. e., an ideal inner loop, is made when
designing hierarchically higher controllers.
The outer control loop is responsible for the slab tem-
peratures and features a two-degrees-of-freedom control
structure. Its control task may be demanding because of
the non-linear, switched dynamics of the system and the
fact that sometimes more than 30 slabs are concurrently
reheated, while the number of control inputs is just 2Nz =
10. The feedforward block defines reference trajectories
z̃j (t) (j = 1, . . . , N s with Ns  N s < ∞) and T̄z∓ (t).
The block can be realized in form of an iterative planning
and optimization algorithm or dynamic optimization as
proposed by Steinboeck et al. (2011a,b). Neither the feed-
forward controller nor the inner control loop will be further
discussed in this work. It is therefore assumed that useful
reference signals z̃j (t) and T̄z∓ (t), which are solutions of
(1) and (2) with the initial values zj,0 (j = 1, . . . , N s ), are
available.
The feedback controller aims at minimizing the deviation
e(t) = z(t) − z̃(t). The corresponding control law will be
derived in the following section. Since slab temperatures
can normally not be measured in the furnace, they need to
be estimated, e. g., by a state observer. In the considered
furnace control system, an extended Kalman filter devel-
oped by Wild et al. (2007) is used for this purpose.
4. FEEDBACK CONTROLLER
An exponentially stabilizing control law for the block
feedback controller in Fig. 2 is developed. Its control
performance in terms of the norm ||e(t)||2 will turn out
to be superior to that of pure open-loop control.
11746
18th IFAC World Congress (IFAC'11)
Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011

4.1 Furnace System with Immobile Slabs so that V̄ (e) is negative definite (cf. Steinboeck et al.
(2010)). Since p̄ is negative semidefinite, P A + AT P is
Consider a situation where the slabs do not move, e. g., negative semidefinite if
during the interval (tsl , tsl+1 ), which implies that Pz∓ and [Pi,j (di + dj )]i=J¯,j=J¯ (5)
Ps∓ are constant. Moreover, the following proposition is positive definite. Pre- and postmultiplying (5) by
requires Ps− = Ps+ . This condition is approximately (Ps∓ )T diag{[ρj cj Dj ]j=J¯}−1 and diag{[ρj cj Dj ]j=J¯}−1 Ps∓
satisfied by the considered system because the furnace
geometry is almost symmetric with respect to the mid do not change its definiteness and yield the symmetric
∓
 
plane of the slabs. matrix − Si Ps,i,j (di + dj ) i=J,j=
¯ J¯
. It is positive definite if
Pjend ∓ ∓
Proposition 1. Given that the slabs are immobile and
Pjend j=jstart ,j6=i Ps,i,j (di +dj ) < −2Ps,i,i di ∀ i ∈ J. The latter
∓
that Ps− = Ps+ as well as j=j Ps,i,j (di + dj ) < condition follows from the Gershgorin circle theorem.
start ,j6=i
∓
−2Ps,i,i di ∀ i ∈ J with dj = λj /(ρj cj Dj2 ) ∀ j ∈ J, the Given the above condition holds, V̄ (e) is negative definite
control law because of the following reasons. For V̄ (e) = 0, the last
T̃z∓ (t) = diag{T̄z∓ (t)} 1 + G∓ e(t)

1/4
, (3a) matrix in (4), which is diagonal, forces certain components
of e to be 0. All remaining components of e are 0 as well
evaluated separately for the bottom and the top half of because (5) is positive definite.
the furnace, with the vector 1 of unity components only,
Hence, according to Lyapunov’s direct method, the system
G∓ is exponentially stable (cf. Vidyasagar (1992)) with respect
(3b)
= diag{g ∓ }(Pz∓ )T (Ps∓ )−T diag{[ρj cj Dj Sj ]j=J¯}M ∓ , to the equilibrium e(t) = 0 ∀ t. Given some initial error
e(t0 ), the control error e(t) will decrease according to
and some user-defined gain vector g ∓ ∈ (R+ )Nz exponen- ke(t)k22 ≤ ke(t0 )k22 exp(−(t − t0 )k3 /k 2 )k2 /k1 ∀ t ≥ t0 with
tially stabilizes the system (1) and (2) with respect to the
reference trajectory z̃(t). k1 = µmin (P ), k2 = µmax (P ),
k3 = µmin − P A − AT P
Proof. Consider the error dynamics
+ 60(G− )T diag{g − }−1 diag{T̄z− }4 G−
ė = ż − z̃˙
+ 60(G+ )T diag{g + }−1 diag{T̄z+ }4 G+
= A + B − Pz− diag{T̄z− }4 G− + B + Pz+ diag{T̄z+ }4 G+ e


+ ζ 3 240[δi,j ρj cj Dj Sj diag {0 1 1}]i=J¯,j=J¯ ,


+ B − Ps− M − + B + Ps+ M + (e + z̃)4 − z̃ 4 ,



where µmin (·) and µmax (·) are the minimum and maximum
the very reasonable assumption z > ζ1 with some small eigenvalue of the respective matrix. 
ζ > 0, and the Lyapunov function candidate V (e) = eT P e
with the positive definite matrices Note that the period
 
36 −3 −3 k k2
" #
T ∆tmin = 2 ln (6a)
P = P = [Pi,j p]i=J¯,j=J¯, p = −3 4 −1 , k3 k1
−3 −1 4 is sufficient to ensure
[Pi,j ]i=J,j=
¯ J¯ = ke(t)k22 ≤ ke(t0 )k22 ∀ t ≥ t0 + ∆tmin . (6b)
− diag{[ρj cj Dj Sj ]j=J¯}(Ps∓ )−1 diag{[ρj cj Dj ]j=J¯}. Clearly, if g − = g + = 0, i. e., in case of open-loop control,
Thus, k3 is smaller, implying that the control error e(t) decreases
slower.
V̇ (e) = eT P A + AT P
+2P B − Pz− diag{T̄z− }4 G− + B + Pz+ diag{T̄z+ }4 G+ e


4.2 Furnace System with Moving Slabs
−60eT [δi,j ρj cj Dj Sj diag {0 1 1}]i=J,j= 4 4


¯ J¯ (e + z̃) − z̃ . Normal furnace operation requires that slabs are regularly
Substitution of (3b) and consideration of e > ζ1 − z̃ yield pushed forward. Because of sparse and uncertain knowl-
edge about ambient conditions before and after the fur-
V̇ (e) ≤ V̄ (e) = eT P A + AT P nace, Steinboeck et al. (2010) suggested żj (t) = z̃˙ j (t) = 0
−60(G− )T diag{g − }−1 diag{T̄z− }4 G− ∀ j 6∈ J. Therefore, the furnace system with moving slabs
(4) cannot be asymptotically stable.
−60(G+ )T diag{g + }−1 diag{T̄z+ }4 G+
−ζ 3 240[δi,j ρj cj Dj Sj diag {0 1 1}]i=J¯,j=J¯ e.

Consider that the reheating process is to be analyzed
for a time interval where N s (Ns  N s < ∞) slabs
There are only negative semidefinite matrices in the last are reheated. Despite N s < ∞, the considered interval
three lines of this expression. Hence, it remains to derive may extend to infinity because the slab movement can
conditions for be stopped at some distant point in the future. The
P A + AT P = [Pi,j (paj + aTi p)]i=J,j=
¯ J¯
control errors in terms of the slabs j ∈ {1, . . . , N s } are
summarized in the vector es (t) = [eT1 (t), . . . , eTN s (t)]T .
= [Pi,j (dj + di )p̄]i=J¯,j=J¯
Proposition 2. The assumptions of Proposition 1 are
with dj = λj /(ρj cj Dj2 ) and adopted but for a furnace with moving slabs. Given that
"
6 −3 −3
# tsl+1 > tsl + ∆tmin,l ∀ l ∈ N with ∆tmin,l according to (6a)
p̄ = −60 −3 2 1 for the period (tsl , tsl+1 ), the control law (3) ensures uniform
−3 1 2 stability of the system.

11747
18th IFAC World Congress (IFAC'11)
Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011

Proof. It follows from the Lyapunov function candidate meany {Tj (y, t)}
V s (es ) = kes k22 and (6) that V s (es (tsl+1 )) ≤ V s (es (tsl )). Open loop
miny {Tj (y, t)}, maxy {Tj (y, t)}
Consequently, the discrete-time error system with the meany {Tj (y, t)}
state trajectory (es (tsl )) is uniformly stable (cf. Vidyasagar Closed loop
(1992)). Moreover, the continuous-time error es (t) remains miny {Tj (y, t)}, maxy {Tj (y, t)}
finite within each interval (tsl , tsl+1 ).  Tj /K Constraints Slab j = 10
5. EXAMPLE PROBLEM 1400
1200 1500
The feedback controller is tested in a simulation environ-
ment using the validated mathematical model presented 1000 1470
by Wild et al. (2009); Wild (2010) and an emulator of the 800
1440
inner control loop from Fig. 2. The considered furnace is 600
35 m long and has a nominal throughput of 280 t/h. 400 1410
tj,0 tj,1 t
5.1 Problem Formulation
Fig. 4. Temperature trajectory of slab j = 10.
In this scenario, the furnace contains Ns = 18 slabs. All
slabs are Dj = 400 mm thick and stay in the furnace for
5 h, i. e., tj,1 = tj,0 + 5 h. The corresponding path-time Open loop Closed loop
diagram is shown in Fig. 3. Tj,end,max maxy {Tj (y, tj,1 )} maxy {Tj (y, tj,1 )}
z T̃j,end meany {Tj (y, tj,1 )} meany {Tj (y, tj,1 )}
Zone 5 Tj,end,min miny {Tj (y, tj,1 )} miny {Tj (y, tj,1 )}
Zone 4
Zone 3 Tj /K
Zone 2 1500
Zone 1
tj,0 tj,1 t 1475
1450
Fig. 3. Path-time diagram.
1425

The slab j should reach the homogeneously distributed 1 5 10 15 20 Slab j

final temperature T̃j,end . The final slab temperature should
not fall below Tj,end,min = T̃j,end − 15 K and should not
exceed Tj,end,max = T̃j,end + 15 K. For the representative
slab j = 10, some additional temperature constraints are
indicated by gray bars in Fig. 4.
5.2 Results
Reference trajectories z̃(t) and T̄z∓ (t), which obey relevant
constraints, have been generated by dynamic optimization
(see, for instance, Steinboeck et al. (2011a)). Open-loop
control is used in a first simulation run, i. e., the reference
trajectories are directly applied to the simulation model.
The resulting minimum, mean, and maximum tempera-
tures of the slab j = 10 are shown as dashed lines in
Fig. 4. Moreover, the resulting final temperature profiles
Tj (y, tj,1 ) of some slabs are indicated by circles in Fig. 5.
With open-loop control based on an inaccurate model
(intentionally degraded) most slabs do not reach their
temperature goals and violate some constraints.
Therefore, feedback tracking control is added in a second
simulation run. The gain vector g ∓ , which is critical to the
performance of the controller, has been empirically found.
For the period [t1,0 , t21,1 ], the (predominantly positive)
correcting values T̃z+ (t) − T̄z+ (t) added by the feedback
controller are given in Fig. 6. The respective zone numbers
are given on the right-hand side of Fig. 6. Zone 1 is
omitted because there are no burners, i. e., this zone is
not controllable. The correcting values T̃z− (t) − T̄z− (t) for
the bottom half of the furnace are similar.
Fig. 5. Final slab temperatures.
The results obtained with closed-loop control (solid lines
in Fig. 4 and squares in Fig. 5) demonstrate the im-
provement owing to the feedback controller. Almost
all slabs reach their desired final temperature range
[Tj,end,min , Tj,end,max ] and have a sufficiently homoge-
neous final temperature profile. As can be inferred from
Fig. 5, closed-loop control generally yields final slab tem-
peratures slightly above T̃j,end . This is also the case with
the reference trajectories z̃(t) because otherwise the lower
bound shown in the zoomed region of Fig. 4 would be vio-
lated. As the influence of the feedback tracking controller
on the energy consumption of the furnace is rather small,
energy saving techniques have not been studied in this
paper. An implementation of the proposed control concept
in the real furnace system is currently on the way.
+ +
T̃z,i − T̄z,i /K
Zone i
40
3
20 4
2
0 5
−20
0 2 4 6 8 10 t/h
Fig. 6. Additional reference values of feedback controller
(in top half of the furnace).

11748
18th IFAC World Congress (IFAC'11)
Milano (Italy) August 28 - September 2, 2011
REFERENCES
Baehr, H.D. and Stephan, K. (2006). Heat and Mass
Transfer. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 2nd edi-
tion.
Carpenter, D.G. and Proctor, C.W. (1987). Temperature
control and optmization of a reheat furnace using a
distributed control system. Iron and Steel Engineer,
64(8), 44–49.
Chen, S., Abraham, S., and Poshard, D. (2008). Modifica-
tion of reheat furnace practices through comprehensive
process modeling. Iron & Steel Technology, 5(8), 66–79.
Dahm, B. and Klima, R. (2002). Feedback control of stock
temperature and oxygen content in reheating furnaces.
Proceedings of the IOM Conference on Challenges in
Reheating Furnaces, London, UK, 287–296.
Doss, B., Chu, E., Mason, H., Ruiz, R., Chan, I., Kleppe,
J., and Jensen, J. (1992). Steel process furnace burner
control using acoustic pyrometry. Proceedings of the
International Gas Research Conference, Orlando, USA,
2231–2240.
Ezure, H., Seki, Y., Yamaguchi, N., and Shinonaga, H.
(1997). Development of a simulator to calculate an op-
timal slab heating pattern for reheat furnaces. Electrical
Engineering in Japan, 120(3), 42–53.
Facco, G., Petersen, M.E., Schurko, R.J., and Ferguson,
N.T. (1990). State of the art slab reheating furnaces at
Dofasco. Iron and Steel Engineer, 67(1), 27–36.
Fitzgerald, F. and Sheridan, A.T. (1972). Prediction
of temperature and heat transfer distribution in gas-
fired pusher-reheating furnaces. Proceedings of the 4th
Symposion on Flames and Industry, London, UK, 107–
113.
Hollander, F. and Zuurbier, S.P.A. (1982). Design, de-
velopment and performance of online computer control
in a 3-zone reheating furnace. Iron and Steel Engineer,
59(1), 44–52.
Honner, M., Vesely, Z., Svantner, M., and Cejka, F. (2001).
Optimal heating control system for continuous furnaces.
Industrial Heat Engineering, 23(3), 105–111.
Knoop, M.K.F. and Moreno Pérez, J.A. (1994). Nonlinear
PI-controller design for a continuous-flow furnace via
continuous gain scheduling. Journal of Process Control,
4(3), 143–147.
Leden, B. (1986). A control system for fuel optimization of
reheating furnaces. Scandinavian Journal of Metallurgy,
15, 16–24.
Marino, P., Pignotti, A., and Solis, D. (2004). Control
of pusher furnaces for steel slab reheating using a
numerical model. Latin Amercian Applied Research,
34(4), 249–255.
Pedersen, L.M. and Wittenmark, B. (1998). On the reheat
furnace control problem. Proceedings of the American
Control Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,
3811–3815.
Rixin, L. and Baolin, N. (1992). Mathematical model for
dynamic operation and optimum control of pusher type
slab reheating furnace. Industrial Heating, 59(3), 60–62.
Roth, J.L., Sierpinski, H., Chabanier, J., and Germe, J.M.
(1986). Computer control of slab furnaces based on
physical models. Iron and Steel Engineer, 63(8), 41–47.
Shenvar, F. (1994). Walking beam furnace supervisory
control at Inland’s 80-in. hot strip mill. Iron and Steel
Engineer, 71(7), 25–34.
11749
Staalman, D. (2004). The funnel model for accurate
slab temperature in reheating furnaces. La Revue de
Métallurgie, 101(7), 453–459.
Steinboeck, A., Graichen, K., and Kugi, A. (2011a). Dy-
namic optimization of a slab reheating furnace with
consistent approximation of control variables. IEEE
Transactions on Control Systems Technology, in press.
Steinboeck, A., Graichen, K., Wild, D., Kiefer, T., and
Kugi, A. (2011b). Model-based trajectory planning,
optimization, and open-loop control of a continuous slab
reheating furnace. Journal of Process Control, 21(2),
279–292.
Steinboeck, A., Wild, D., Kiefer, T., and Kugi, A. (2009).
A flexible time integration method for the 1D heat
conduction problem. Proceedings of the 6th Vienna Con-
ference on Mathematical Modelling, Vienna, Austria,
ARGESIM Report no. 35, 1204–1214.
Steinboeck, A., Wild, D., Kiefer, T., and Kugi, A. (2010).
A mathematical model of a slab reheating furnace with
radiative heat transfer and non-participating gaseous
media. International Journal of Heat and Mass Trans-
fer, 53, 5933–5946.
Veslocki, T.A., Smith, C.S., and Kelly, C.D. (1986). Au-
tomatic slab heating control at Inland’s 80-in. hot strip
mill. Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (AISE)
Year Book, 577–584.
Vidyasagar, M. (1992). Nonlinear systems analysis. Num-
ber 42 in Classics in Applied Mathematics. SIAM,
Philadelphia, USA, 2nd edition.
Vode, F., Jaklič, A., Kokalj, T., and Matko, D. (2008). A
furnace control system for tracing reference reheating
curves. Steel Research International, Metal Forming,
79(5), 364–370.
Wang, Z., Wu, Q., and Chai, T. (2004). Optimal-setting
control for complicated industrial processes and its
application study. Control Engineering Practice, 12, 65–
74.
Westdorp, R. (1988). Development and simulation of a
control strategy for a reheating furnace. Journal A,
29(2), 11–16.
Wick, H.J. and Köster, F. (1999). Estimation of temper-
ature profiles of slabs in a reheat furnace by using the
Kalman filter. Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE Interna-
tional Symposion on Computer Aided Control System
Design, Hawai’i, USA, 613–617.
Wild, D. (2010). Modellierung und Beobachterentwurf
für einen Stoßofen. Ph.D. thesis, Vienna University of
Technolgy, Vienna.
Wild, D., Meurer, T., and Kugi, A. (2009). Modelling and
experimental model validation for a pusher-type reheat-
ing furnace. Mathematical and Computer Modelling of
Dynamical Systems, 15(3), 209–232.
Wild, D., Meurer, T., Kugi, A., Fichet, O., and Eberwein,
K. (2007). Nonlinear observer design for pusher-type
reheating furnaces. Proceedings of the 3rd International
Steel Conference on New Developments in Metallurgical
Process Technologies, Düsseldorf, Germany, 790–797.
Yoshitani, N., Ueyama, T., and Usui, M. (1994). Optimal
slab heating control with temperature trajectory opti-
mization. Proceedings of the 20th International Confer-
ence on Industrial Electronics, Control and Instrumen-
tation, IECON’94, Bologna, Italy, 3, 1567–1572.