Fuzzy Logic Control in High Temperature Furnace

Abstract

This work presents a novel technique to maintain temperature of a furnace using Fuzzy Logic.  The furnace temperature has to be controlled and maintained upto 1500 degree Celsius and the purpose of the furnace is to study the characteristics of welding materials at very high temperature.  Since the range of temperature above ambient is fairly high and the furnace working area is also large, the phenomenon of maintaining the temperature at the desired value poses many challenges.  In this work, Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) system has been implemented by duly considering the working temperature range, as well as working area. The advent of the control system is, its ability to attain the set temperature at the set time and also to maintain it. A complete study of the furnace, as well as TRIAC based final control element has been done.  The choice of membership function is done, so that to minimize steady state errors and also to reach the set temperature at the pre-defined time interval.

Fuzzy Logic uses conventional electronics and instrumentations along with Micro controllers for controlling the furnace temperature.  Complete mathematical modeling of the furnace temperature control system based on fuzzy technique delivers a good solution to this work.

Keywords: Pulse width Modulation, Fuzzy logic control, Fuzzy logic