Understanding Model Predictive Control

 • Process control solutions form a hierarchal structure of four layers, with field devices at the bottom, followed by regulatory controllers and advance process controls (APC), and production control at the top.
• The control performance at each level directly affects the stability of the process, the quality of the product, and the cost of producing the product.
• This article describes each layer of the process control hierarchy, and explains how model predictive control (MPC) fits into this structure.