Performance Comparison of Temperature Profile Control of Clay Kiln for Ethiopian Pottery Industry

Abstract

Pottery production plays an important cultural and economic role in Ethiopia; however, traditional clay kilns are commonly operated using manual temperature control methods that lead to inconsistent firing conditions, poor product quality, and high energy consumption. Maintaining an accurate temperature profile during the firing process is critical for achieving proper clay vitrification, minimizing defects, and improving overall production efficiency. This study focuses on the modeling, design, and performance comparison of temperature profile control strategies for an electric clay kiln used in the Ethiopian pottery industry. A dynamic mathematical model of the electric clay kiln was developed based on energy balance principles, incorporating heat transfer through conduction, convection, and radiation, as well as thermal inertia and time delay effects. Using this model, three control strategies Proportional Integral Derivative (PID), Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC), and Model Predictive Control (MPC) were designed and implemented in MATLAB/Simulink.