Manufacturing method for packaging welds

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for seam welding sheets, the method including real-time self-adaptive adjustment of weld control based on in-line measurement of one or more properties of the weld.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Corresponding application This PCT application claims priority to an earlier European patent application No. 22201756.8 filed on October 14, 2022 in the name of AISAPACK HOLDING SA, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety into this PCT application.

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of methods for manufacturing packaging, and more particularly to flexible packaging manufactured by welding. The present invention can be used, for example, to manufacture packaging tubes, which are particularly, but not exclusively, intended for packaging liquid, viscous or semi-liquid products or products in powder form.

[0003] Naturally, the invention is not limited to this single application of manufacturing packaging tubes, but can be applied in other fields in which the manufacturing of objects results, for example, from the welding of single or multi-layer sheets made of plastic, paper, aluminum or a combination of these materials. [Background technology]

[0004] WO 2020049531, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a method and apparatus for seam welding sheets to produce flexible packaging. The method described in WO 20202049531 incorporates continuous "in-line" measurement of weld thickness, allowing for real-time inspection of the weld quality of all produced packaging and the discarding of defective packaging from the production batch. While this method offers many advantages, it requires operator intervention to adjust machine controls when quality deviations are observed. These quality deviations may be due to variations in the production machine's environment (temperature, humidity), variations in the components used in the machine (sheet thickness, sheet humidity and temperature), or the machine (overheating, wear).

[0005] The object of the present invention is to remedy the above-mentioned drawbacks by using a self-adaptive production method that adjusts and / or adapts the machine welding controls (parameters) in real time based on the measured weld characteristics, making it possible to ensure a constant weld quality despite variations in the production environment, or sheet variations, or variations caused by wear and / or overheating of the production machine and tools. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to improve the method and apparatus for producing welded packaging, in particular packaging tubes, which are particularly, but not exclusively, intended for packaging liquid or viscous products.

[0007] Another object is to propose a method and apparatus for self-adaptive welding, which adjusts the control of the apparatus in real time to obtain constant weld characteristics, regardless of variations in the production environment, and / or regardless of variations in the properties of the welded components, and / or regardless of variations related to the production equipment.

[0008] Another object is to propose a welding method and device that makes it possible to reduce the variations between packaging materials within a production batch.

[0009] Another object is to propose a method and a device that can be implemented simply and efficiently.

[0010] Another object is to propose a modular method and system that can be implemented or added to existing machines.

[0011] Other objects and solutions according to the present invention will be described in the following text and in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] To this end, the invention particularly relates to a method for welding packaging materials at high production speeds.

[0013] The present invention relates, on the one hand, to a method for seam welding sheets at high production rates, which method includes making real-time, self-adaptive adjustments of welding controls (parameters) during production, without stopping the machine, based on in-line measurements of one or more properties of the world. The measured properties of the weld can be of a dimensional nature, for example, thickness or width of the weld area, or of an aesthetic nature, for example, absence of visual defects, or of a structural nature, for example, crystallinity of the weld or absence of defects such as bubbles, cavities, or deteriorated areas.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is the variation in the properties of these welds that is determined by comparison with a reference property.

[0015] The present invention also relates to a method for welding and assembling components onto a tubular packaging, said components being, for example, a tube head or flask neck, or a flask bottom. According to the present invention, the welding method can be performed at high production speeds and includes real-time self-adaptive adjustment of the welding control (parameters) during production without stopping the machine, based on in-line measurements of one or more properties of the weld. The measured properties of the weld are, for example, the temperature of the weld, the aesthetic appearance of the weld, the compression ratio of the weld, the width of the weld, or any other measured property of the weld that may be relevant in the context of the present invention.

[0016] An object of the present invention is, inter alia, to produce a "constant" weld by measuring selected weld properties in real time and performing self-adaptive adjustments of weld controls and / or parameters in real time.

[0017] As will be appreciated from this non-limiting example, the principles of the present invention may be applied to any welding area or weld on an associated product or object.

[0018] The various means (regulation processes, specific measurements, involved means, models) and their embodiments used in the context of the present invention are described below.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of seam welding a sheet, said method including real-time self-adaptive adjustment of welding controls based on in-line measurement of one or more properties of the weld.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method includes a digital model having self-tuning parameters that simulates the behavior of the welding equipment and adjusts said parameters in real time.

[0021] In an embodiment, the measured property of the weld is of a dimensional nature, such as the thickness or width of the weld area, or of an aesthetic nature, such as the absence of visual defects, or of a structural nature, such as the crystallinity of the weld or the absence of defects such as bubbles, voids, or deteriorated areas.

[0022] In an embodiment, the self-adaptive adjustment is performed on the weld heating control and / or the weld pressure control and / or the weld cooling control and / or the weld modification control, and / or some or all of the heating, compression, cooling and modification controls, and / or by minimizing the energy used to perform the welding operation without changing the properties of the weld.

[0023] In an embodiment, at least one property of the weld measured in real time is used to adjust the welding method, said property being the thickness of the weld and / or the aesthetic appearance of the weld and / or the width of the weld and / or the distance between the barrier layers and / or the creep length of the material pressurized at the weld and / or the temperature of the weld and / or the crystallinity of the weld and / or a sheet property such as the sheet thickness and / or a machine property such as the welding energy.

[0024] In embodiments, mechanical and / or optical and / or electromagnetic and / or ultrasonic and / or laser and / or infrared and / or tomographic means involving waves reflected by and / or passing through and / or absorbed by the weld are used as measurement means.

[0025] In an embodiment, a self-tunable digital model is used that is a state model and / or a transfer function and / or a digital twin.

[0026] In embodiments, the parameters of the model are adjusted in real time by minimizing the deviation between the response of the method and the response of the model (to the same control), and / or the adjustment of the parameters of the model is performed by an RLS (Recursive Least Squares) incremental algorithm, and / or the adjustment of the parameters of the model is performed by quadratic optimization (quadratic programming), and / or the self-tuned parameters of the model are used by a synthesis computer to adjust the parameters of a multivariable control regulator in real time.

[0027] In an embodiment, the regulator adjusts the control of the welding process in real time based on the difference between the desired and measured properties of the weld and using self-adjusted parameters sent by the self-adaptive modeling module, and the regulator is of a PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) type, and / or the regulator is of an LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) type, and / or the control is a single-input-single-output single-variable control, or the control is a multi-input-single-output multivariable control, or the control is a multi-input-multiple-output multivariable control.

[0028] In an embodiment, the present invention relates to an apparatus for implementing the methods described herein, said apparatus comprising a self-adjusting welding control loop and a self-adaptive modeling module.

[0029] In an embodiment, the self-regulating loop comprises a regulator.

[0030] In an embodiment, the self-adaptive modeling module comprises a self-tunable digital model that determines optimal parameters for the model, and a synthesis computer that determines tuned parameters for the regulator and sends the tuned parameters to the regulator.

[0031] In an embodiment, the system used to perform the measurements is disclosed in the above-mentioned WO2020049531, which is incorporated by reference into the present application.

[0032] Other embodiments and features of the present invention are detailed in the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates the principle of the method according to the invention; [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic representation of the means and devices used to implement the method according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3A and 3B show schematic diagrams of means and devices used to implement a method according to another embodiment of the invention; [Figure 4] 5A and 5B show schematic diagrams of means and devices used to implement a method according to yet another embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] According to the principles of the present invention, on the one hand, the desired weld characteristic is input to a comparator. On the other hand, by means of a feedback loop, the measured weld characteristic is also input to the comparator, and the deviation between the desired value and the measured value ("deviation e") is determined. This deviation is input to the regulator to determine the regulator's control.

[0035] The regulator's control is then used to control the machine, i.e., to perform the control necessary to perform the desired weld, examples of possible controls are described in this application and below in non-limiting Examples 1 to 3. Following the welding operation, the measured characteristics of the weld are determined for the produced object, and these characteristics are input into a feedback loop of a comparator located upstream of the regulator to calculate the deviation "deviation e".

[0036] Meanwhile, the regulator control is also input to a self-adjusting digital model module. This model "models" the actual behavior of the system and is self-adjusting to this behavior (i.e., taking into account actual changes). The model's response to this control is compared to the actual process response, i.e., the measured characteristics of the weld. The model parameters are then adjusted to minimize (or cancel) this deviation, and the resulting adjusted parameters are considered the optimal parameters of the model. These optimal parameters of the model are then used by a synthesis computer to determine the adjusted parameters of the regulator, which are then introduced into the regulator. Because the system has a certain inertia, a given control (e.g., a control that increases heating) does not immediately affect the resulting weld and therefore the measured characteristics. To avoid system fluctuations due to a delay (or time lag) in the effect of the control on the control itself, it is necessary to consider this deviation in the control applied to the system and use a regulator that predicts this deviation.

[0037] The "deviation e" parameter in the welding control loop allows changes in the method to be taken into account. As long as the deviation is not zero (or the measured deviation is not within a predetermined tolerance), the process of adjusting the regulator parameters continues as described below using a self-adaptive model. As soon as the measured deviation "deviation e" is zero (or within a predetermined tolerance), it means that the optimal parameters of the regulator have been reached. These parameters remain set by stopping the adjustment. Of course, if a deviation between the desired characteristic and the measured characteristic is measured again, the above adjustment process will be restarted automatically or not.

[0038] Thus, the system can request control of the regulator with respect to the measured characteristics, self-adapt the model to optimize it, and use the optimal parameters in the regulator so that it produces the appropriate control.

[0039] The various adjustment, control and measurement parameters as modeled are described below.

[0040] Self-adaptive adjustment of welding controls According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the weld preheat control is performed.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the weld heat control is performed.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the weld force control is performed.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of weld cooling control is performed.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the weld anneal control is performed.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the weld modification control is performed.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of some or all of the heating control, compression control, cooling control and reforming control is performed.

[0047] According to embodiments of the present invention, self-adaptive adjustment of the welding process minimizes the energy used to perform the welding operation without changing the properties of the weld.

[0048] Weld characteristics According to the invention, at least one property of the weld measured in real time is used to adjust the welding process. Possible measurement means are defined herein below.

[0049] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the thickness of the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0050] According to embodiments of the present invention, at least the aesthetic appearance of the weld is used as a characteristic for adjusting the welding method. For example, the appearance criterion may be the absence of visual or structural defects, such as crystallinity, or the absence of defects such as bubbles, cavities, or deteriorated areas. Other criteria may also be used.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the width of the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the distance between the barrier layers of the sheets is used as a property to adjust the welding method.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the creep length of at least the stressed material at the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the temperature of the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the crystallinity of the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least the leak rate of a gas (such as helium, nitrogen, oxygen or air) from the weld is used as a characteristic to adjust the welding process.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the weld and the aesthetic appearance of the weld are used as characteristics to adjust the welding process.

[0058] According to embodiments of the present invention, the properties of the welded components measured in real time are also used to adjust the welding process.

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the real-time measured sheet properties are also used to adjust the welding process.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the weld thickness and the sheet thickness are used as characteristics to adjust the welding process.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, real-time measured machine characteristics are also used to adjust the welding process.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aesthetic appearance of the weld and the welding energy are used as characteristics to adjust the welding process.

[0063] Means for measuring the properties of a weld as defined herein According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mechanical element is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present invention, optical means are used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical means is an optical camera.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present invention, electromagnetic waves are used to measure the properties of a weld in real time.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, electromagnetic waves transmitted through a weld are used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, electromagnetic waves reflected by a weld are used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, absorbed electromagnetic waves are used to measure properties of a weld in real time.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, terahertz waves are used to measure the properties of a weld in real time.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, ultrasound is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, laser radiation is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present invention, infrared radiation is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an infrared camera is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a leak detector is used to measure the properties of the weld in real time.

[0077] Digital Model According to the present invention, a self-adaptive modeling module with a self-tuning digital model is used to adjust the method.

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-tuning digital model is a state model.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-tunable digital model is a transfer function.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-tuning digital model is a neural network digital twin.

[0081] How to adjust model parameters in real time According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parameters of the model are adjusted in real time by minimizing the deviation between the response of the method and the response of the model (to the same control).

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tuning of the model parameters is performed by an RLS (Recursive Least Squares) incremental algorithm.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, tuning of the model parameters is performed by quadratic optimization (quadratic programming).

[0084] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-tuned parameters of the model are used by a synthesis computer to adjust the parameters of a multivariable control regulator in real time.

[0085] regulator According to an embodiment of the present invention, the regulator adjusts the control of the welding process in real time based on the difference between the desired and measured properties of the weld and the self-adjusted parameters transmitted by the self-adaptive modeling module.

[0086] According to an embodiment of the invention, the regulator is of the PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) type.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the invention, the regulator is of the LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) type.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control is a single-input, single-output, single-variable control.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control is a multi-input single-output multivariable control.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control is a multi-input-multi-output multivariable control.

[0091] Example of a method according to the present invention Example 1 (see Figure 2) Welding method example 1 is particularly as follows: - unwinding a sheet (printed or unprinted), for example from a reel; - cutting the sheet to the required width; - forming the cut sheet into a tube form 10; - positioning the edges 11 of the sheets to be welded; - heating the ends 11 to be welded via a first heating element 1 whose force control is self-adjusted in real time; - heating the ends to be welded via a second heating element 2 whose force control is self-adjusted in real time; - heating the ends to be welded via a third heating element 3 whose force control is self-adjusted in real time; - pressing the weld using a pressure tool 5; - cooling using a cooling tool 6; - a step of modifying; - inspecting the properties of the weld, for example measuring the thickness of the weld (Figure 3); - a step of a self-regulating loop of welding control based on the characteristics of the weld measured according to the principle shown in Figure 1; - cutting the tube 12 to a predetermined length to obtain a printed or unprinted tube body; Includes.

[0092] The self-regulating control of the method in Example 1 is -heating power of heating element 1, - heating power of heating element 2, - Heating power of heating element 3 is.

[0093] The weld properties used to adjust the method of Example 1 are: For example, the thickness of the weld.

[0094] Example 2 (Figure 4) Welding method example 2 is particularly as follows: - mounting the tube head 13 on a mandrel 14; - placing a tubular body 12 (for example, as obtained in Example 1) on said mandrel 14; - accurately positioning the end of the tube body 12 to be welded relative to the tube head 13; heating the area to be welded via a heating element 4, The temperature of the heating means (e.g. hot air) is self-adjusted in real time, Hot air flow rate is self-adjusted in real time, A heating step in which the hot air blowing time is self-adjusted in real time; - pressurizing and cooling the weld area via a pressure tool 5 and a cooling tool 6; - measuring the temperature and aesthetic appearance of the weld and the welding energy; - a step of a self-regulating loop of welding control based on the temperature of the weld, the aesthetic appearance of the weld and the energy measured by the principle shown in Figure 1 and applied in Figure 4; Includes.

[0095] The self-regulating control of the method in Example 2 is the air temperature of heating element 4, Heating element 4 air flow rate, Heating time of heating element 4 is.

[0096] The weld properties used to adjust the method in Example 2 are: -Temperature of the weld, -Aesthetic appearance of the weld, Energy is.

[0097] Example 3 Welding method example 3 is particularly as follows: - unwinding a sheet (printed or unprinted), for example from a reel; - cutting the sheet to the required width; - forming the cut sheet into a tube form 10; - positioning the ends 11 to be welded; - driving the ends to be welded through a first process belt whose torque control is self-adjusted in real time; - driving the ends to be welded through a second process belt whose torque control is self-adjusted in real time; - heating the ends 11 to be welded via a heating element 1 whose force control is self-adjusted in real time; - heating the ends 11 to be welded via a heating element 2 whose force control is self-adjusted in real time; - pressing the ends 11 to be welded via a first pressure tool 5, the control of which is self-adjusted in real time; - pressing the ends 11 to be welded via a second pressure tool 5' whose control is self-adjusted in real time; - cooling the weld via a first cooling tool 6 whose temperature control is self-adjusted in real time; - cooling the weld via a second cooling tool 6' whose temperature control is self-adjusted in real time; - reforming the tube via a reforming element with real-time self-adjusting pressure control; - measuring the thickness and aesthetic appearance of the weld and the welding energy; - cutting the tube to a predetermined length to obtain a printed tube body 12; - measuring the roundness of the tube body 12; a self-regulating loop of welding control based on the weld temperature, the aesthetic appearance of the weld, the welding energy, and the roundness of the tube body 12, measured according to the principle shown in FIG. 1; Includes.

[0098] The self-regulating control of the method in Example 3 is -heating power of heating element 1, - heating power of heating element 2, the pressure of the first pressure tool 5, the pressure of the second pressure tool 5′, the temperature of the first cooling tool 6, the temperature of the second cooling tool 6′, - Pressure of the modifying element is.

[0099] The weld properties used to adjust the method of Example 3 are: - the thickness of the weld, - aesthetic appearance of the weld, - the roundness of the tube body 12; -Energy is.

[0100] Process belts for driving the edges of sheets to be welded are known in the art and are disclosed, for example, in WO 2021014241, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0101] In all embodiments, the pressing action may be carried out during heating of the ends to be welded, and / or during welding, and / or after heating or welding, and / or during cooling, or at another suitable moment in the process.

[0102] Effect of the invention According to some principles of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the quality of a particular weld by inspecting its characteristics. Since inspections are performed continuously during production, the method's settings controls are automatically adapted in real time as welds deviate from desired characteristics or trends in other characteristics (e.g., energy consumption) are measured. The principles of the present invention are highly economically advantageous, avoiding scrap and limiting human intervention through real-time machine self-adjustment as soon as trends are detected and before defects appear.

[0103] The embodiments described in this application are described as illustrative examples and should not be considered limiting. Other embodiments may, for example, include means equivalent to those described. The different embodiments described above may be combined with each other depending on the circumstances, or means used in one embodiment may be used in another embodiment.

[0104] Exemplary embodiments have been described to provide a general understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the systems and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the systems and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the scope of the present invention is not defined solely by the claims. Features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Several problems with conventional methods and systems have been described herein, and the methods and systems disclosed herein may address one or more of these problems. By describing these problems, no admission of knowledge thereof in the art is intended. Those skilled in the art will understand that, while the particular methods and systems have been described herein in connection with several non-limiting embodiments, the scope of the invention is not so limited. Moreover, while the present invention has been described in conjunction with several embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be or become apparent to those skilled in the applicable art(s). Accordingly, it is intended to embrace and cover all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of seam welding a sheet, comprising self-adaptive adjustment of weld control in real time based on in-line measurement of one or more properties of the weld.

2. The method of claim 1 including a digital model having self-tuning parameters that simulates the behavior of the welding equipment and adjusts said parameters in real time.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the measured property of the weld is of a dimensional nature, such as the thickness or width of the weld area, or of an aesthetic nature, such as the crystallinity of the weld or the absence of defects such as bubbles, cavities or deteriorated areas, for example the absence of visual and / or structural defects.

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the self-adaptive adjustment is performed on a weld heating control and / or a weld pressure control and / or a weld cooling control and / or a weld modification control, and / or on some or all of the heating, compression, cooling and modification controls, and / or by minimizing the energy used to perform the welding operation without changing the properties of the weld.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one property of the weld measured in real time is used to adjust the welding method, said property being the thickness of the weld and / or the aesthetic appearance of the weld, and / or the width of the weld and / or the distance between barrier layers, and / or the creep length of the material pressed at the weld and / or the temperature of the weld, and / or the crystallinity of the weld, and / or a sheet property such as the sheet thickness, and / or a machine property such as the welding energy.

6. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein mechanical and / or optical and / or electromagnetic and / or ultrasonic and / or laser and / or infrared and / or tomographic means with waves reflected by the weld and / or passing through the weld and / or absorbed by the weld are used as measuring means.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a self-tuning digital model is used which is a state model and / or a transfer function and / or a digital twin.

8. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the parameters of the model are adjusted in real time by minimizing the deviation between the response of the method and the response of the model (to the same control), and / or the adjustment of the parameters of the model is performed by an RLS (Recursive Least Squares) incremental algorithm, and / or the adjustment of the parameters of the model is performed by quadratic optimization (quadratic programming), and / or the self-tuned parameters of the model are used by a synthesis computer that adjusts the parameters of a multivariable control regulator in real time.

9. 9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a regulator adjusts a control of the welding method in real time based on a difference between a desired property and the measured property of the weld and using the self-adjusted parameters transmitted by a self-adaptive modeling module, and wherein the regulator is of a PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) type, and / or the regulator is of an LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) type, and / or the control is a single-input-single-output univariable control, or the control is a multi-input-single-output multivariable control, or the control is a multi-input-multiple-output multivariable control.

10. An apparatus for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a self-regulating loop of welding control and a self-adaptive modelling module.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the self-regulating loop comprises a regulator.

12. 12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 11, wherein the self-adaptive modeling module comprises a self-tuning digital model that determines optimal parameters for the model, and a synthesis computer that determines tuned parameters for the regulator and sends the tuned parameters to the regulator.

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