Real-Time Decentralized Flatness-Based Control of Dynamic Supply Chain Systems

Dynamic supply chain management is tackled, in this paper, using the concept of differential flatness. Such approach seems to be more adequate with supply chains, which are complex and meshed systems. The paper focuses on the operational activities of supply-chains, the main objective is to maintain the inventory level at a desired one according to the customer demand while synchronizing the flows within a set of physical boundaries and constraints. The main advantage of differential flatness is characterized by the fact that the whole system behavior is described by the trajectory of a so-called "flat output" and a number of its successive time derivatives. This leads to a simple design of the control algorithm, without integration of any differential equation. Convincing numerical simulations, using a case study of a multi-product polyethylene petrochemical plant, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.