Patent ID: 7599749

Claim:
A system for controlling a non-linear process, comprising: a distributed control system operable to couple to a non-linear process with varying dynamics, wherein dynamic behavior of the non-linear process varies as a function of process operation regime, the distributed control system comprising: a computing device operable to execute a first software tool to: identify variable inputs and controlled variables associated with the non-linear process, wherein the variable inputs include at least one manipulated variable; determine relationships between the variable inputs and the controlled variables; and construct a dynamic predictive model of the non-linear process that expresses the determined relationships between the variable inputs and the controlled variables, wherein the dynamic predictive model comprises parameters that are functionally dependent on and vary with the variable inputs; and at least one input/output controller coupled to the computing device, operable to monitor the variable inputs and tune the at least one manipulated variable based on the determined relationships to achieve a desired controlled variable value.