Application of fuzzy control in the evaporation stage of a first- and second-generation sugarcane ethanol biorefinery

Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse is a cheap feedstock for one of the most significant biofuel technologies currently being developed: second-generation ethanol (E2G). Most studies regarding E2G production investigate ways to improve the efficiency of this technology. However, studies about its control are still very sparse. In this work, we tried to partially fulfill this gap, addressing the control of a multiple-effect evaporation system of a sugarcane biorefinery. A feedforward fuzzy controller was proposed with membership functions based on a dynamic phenomenological model developed in Environment for Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization (EMSO). This software was also used to carry out simulations to evaluate the disturbance rejection performance. Inference tools based on neural networks and proportional–integral (PI) controllers were also proposed as support to the Fuzzy control system. The tests showed that the Fuzzy scheme outperformed traditional proportional–integral–-derivative (PID) controllers, settling on average 66% faster with a 72% reduction of integral time absolute error (ITAE).

Keywords:

• Environment for Modeling Simulation and Optimization
• Fuzzy control
• multiple-effect evaporation
• neural network
• second-generation ethanol
• sugarcane

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq (Brazil), processes 311807/2018-6, 428650/2018-0, 140127/2020-8, 307958/2021-3, and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – CAPES (Brazil) for the financial support.

Disclosure statement

We wish to clarify that this publication has no known conflicts of interest and that there has been no significant financial assistance for it that could have influenced its outcome. No potential competing interest was reported by the authors. We ensure that all named authors have read and approved the paper and that no other individuals who meet the criteria for authorship but are not listed have done so. We also affirm that the manuscript’s authorship order has been approved by all of us.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq (Brazil), processes 311807/2018-6, 428650/2018-0, 140127/2020-8, 307958/2021-3, and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – CAPES (Brazil).