Abstract
Temperature regulation in nonlinear and highly dynamic processes such as the continuous stirred-tank heater (CSTH) is a challenging task due to the inherent system nonlinearities and disturbances. This study proposes a novel metaheuristic-driven control strategy, combining the two degrees of freedom-PID acceleration (2DOF-PIDA) controller with the recently developed starfish optimization algorithm (SFOA) for temperature control of the CSTH process. The 2DOF-PIDA controller enhances system performance by decoupling setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection, while the SFOA ensures optimal tuning of controller parameters by leveraging its powerful exploration and exploitation capabilities. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, demonstrating improved tracking accuracy, disturbance rejection, and robustness compared to conventional methods. The combination of 2DOF-PIDA and SFOA provides a flexible and efficient solution for controlling highly nonlinear systems, with significant implications for industrial temperature regulation applications.