Constraint Optimal Model-Based Disturbance Predictive and Rejection Control Method of a Parabolic Trough Solar Field

The control of the field outlet temperature of a parabolic trough solar field (PTSF) is crucial for the safe and efficient operation of the solar power system but with the difficulties arising from the multiple disturbances and constraints imposed on the variables. To this end, this paper proposes a constraint optimal model-based disturbance predictive and rejection control method with a disturbance prediction part. In this method, the steady-state target sequence is dynamically corrected in the presence of constraints, the lumped disturbance, and its future dynamics predicted by the least-squares support vector machine. In addition, a maximum controlled allowable set is constructed in real time to transform an infinite number of constraint inequalities into finite ones with the integration of the corrected steady-state target sequence. On this basis, an equivalent quadratic programming constrained optimization problem is constructed and solved by the dual-mode control law. The simulation results demonstrate the setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection performance of our design under the premise of constraint satisfaction.