Patent ID: 8401703

Claim:
A method for controlling production of a mixture M of n components, the method making it possible to determine proportions u of the components involved in the mixture so as to obtain values for a number m of predetermined properties y of the mixture, the values lying between predetermined minimum and maximum thresholds and/or, for m′ of them (where m′≦n−1), are substantially equal to predetermined target values, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: (i) at time t=0: (1) a matrix B representing the number m of properties y of the n components is determined, (2) a reference recipe ū is determined from the predetermined minimum and maximum thresholds and/or from the predetermined target values, such that properties Bū of the mixture lie between said predetermined thresholds and/or, for m′ of them, are equal to said predetermined target values, ū, being a vector of dimension n, representing the proportions of the components involved in the composition of the mixture, where Σ i=1 n ū i =1, and (3) the recipe ū is applied to the components so as to produce the mixture M; (ii) at time t′=t+Δt: (1) properties y mes of the mixture M obtained by applying the recipe ū are measured, (2) a corrected matrix {circumflex over (B)}, representing an estimate of the properties of the components, is deduced therefrom, (3) a new recipe u is determined in such a way that the properties {circumflex over (B)}u of the mixture lie between said predetermined thresholds and/or, for m′ of them, are equal to said predetermined target values, and (4) the new recipe u is applied to the components; (iii) at time t″=t′+Δt, operations (1) to (4) of the preceding step (ii) are repeated; and (iv) step (iii) is repeated throughout the duration of production of the mixture.