Model Reduction and Controller Design for a Nonlinear Heat Conduction Problem Using Finite Element Method

The mathematical models for dynamic distributed parameter systems are given by systems of partial differential equations. With nonlinear material properties, the corresponding finite element (FE) models are large systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. However, in most cases, the actual dynamics of interest involve only a few of the variables, for which model reduction strategies based on system theoretical concepts can be immensely useful. This paper considers the problem of controlling a three dimensional profile on nontrivial geometries. Dynamic model is obtained by discretizing the domain using FE method. A nonlinear control law is proposed which transfers any arbitrary initial temperature profile to another arbitrary desired one. The large dynamic model is reduced using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Finally, the stability of the control law is proved through Lyapunov analysis. Results of numerical implementation are presented and possible further extensions are identified.