A data‐driven Bayesian approach for optimal dynamic product transitions

Abstract

In the processing industry, dynamic product transitions are essential for achieving high product quality, minimizing the use of raw materials and energy and reducing production costs. However, optimizing dynamic product transitions is a challenging task due to the complex dynamics of the process and the uncertainty in the measurements. In this article, a data‐driven Bayesian approach for optimal dynamic product transitions is proposed. The proposed approach is based on a dynamic optimization problem that is solved using a Bayesian optimization algorithm. One of the advantages of this approach for process optimization tasks is that it does not require a first‐principles dynamic mathematical model for drawing optimal solutions. The approach is applied to three case studies, and the results are comparable in performance quality with those obtained using a traditional gradient‐based optimization approach. The results show that the proposed approach is able to find optimal transition trajectories that meet the product composition requirements using smooth control actions. The approach is also able to cope with noisy measurements, which is an important feature in real‐world applications. The proposed approach has several advantages over traditional optimization approaches, including being data driven, able to cope with noisy measurements, computationally efficient, and it requires modest computational effort. Complex online optimal control problems can benefit from adopting a data‐driven Bayesian optimization scheme.