Finite-Dimensional Observer-Based PI Regulation Control of a Reaction–Diffusion Equation

This article investigates the output feedback setpoint regulation control of a reaction–diffusion equation by means of boundary control. The considered reaction–diffusion plant may be open-loop unstable. The proposed control strategy consists of the coupling of a finite-dimensional observer and a PI controller in order to achieve the boundary setpoint regulation control of various system outputs such as the Dirichlet and Neumann traces. In this context, it is shown that the order of the finite-dimensional observer can always be selected large enough, with an explicit criterion, to achieve both the stabilization of the plant and the setpoint regulation of the system output.