Adaptive enhanced genetic algorithm-based proportional integral controller tuning for pH process

The control of a pH process is a challenging task. For the pH process, Proportional Integral (PI) control has been successfully used for many years. Tuning of the PI controller is necessary for the satisfactory operation of the system. This paper presents an Enhanced Genetic Algorithm (EGA) for the tuning of PI controllers. To avoid the premature convergence and to reduce the computation time, advanced genetic operators have been used in the proposed GA approach. The proposed GA tuned PI controller is implemented in the experimental pH process. The performance of the controller with Enhanced GA tuning is compared with traditional Ziegler Nichols tuning and Internal Model Control for various set point and trajectory responses of the pH process. The experimental results show that the proposed GA is very much capable to adapt the controller to dynamic plant characteristics changes in pH process.