Kiln thermal and combustion control

A system for operating a nonlinear system, the system comprising:

• a linear controller, operable to:
• receive inputs representing measured variables of the nonlinear system, wherein the measured variables of the nonlinear system are in a first operating region;
• and
• determine predicted control values for manipulable variables that control the nonlinear system;
• a nonlinear model of the nonlinear system, wherein the nonlinear model has been trained to represent operation of the nonlinear system over a specified region of the nonlinear system's operating space;
• means for initiating a change in operation of the nonlinear system, wherein the change operates to move the measured variables of the nonlinear system from the first operating region to a second operation region;
• means for modifying the nonlinear model in accordance with the change in operation of the nonlinear system;
• means for adjusting one or more parameters of the linear controller based on an associated one or more parameters of the nonlinear model as the measured variables move;
• means for further modifying the one or more parameters of the linear controller in a specified manner as the measured variables move from the first operating region to the second operating region;
• wherein the linear controller is further operable to determine predicted control values for the manipulable variables in response to said further modifying;
• and
• means for outputting the predicted control values for the manipulable variables, wherein the predicted control values are useable to control the nonlinear system.