Hybrid control of MISO systems with delays

Hybrid control systems are able to go beyond fundamental limitations inherent to linear and time-invariant control systems. In this work, we employ a parallel control strategy based on a hybrid enhancement of the proportional-integral (PI) controller, the proportional-integral plus Clegg integrator (PI+CI) controller, in conjunction with a novel hybrid control approach (reset-and-hold strategy) to virtually eliminate overshooting in multiple-input single-output (MISO) first order LTI plants with time delay, all the while maintaining response velocity. This goes beyond earlier findings for both single-input systems with delay and MISO systems without delay. In an experimental case study, the developed method was successfully used to control the temperature of a heat exchanger in a pilot plant for food processing.