APPLICATION OF SELF-TUNING REGULATORS TO CATALYTIC REACTOR CONTROL.
Abstract
Self-tuning regulators are applied to the control of a pilot scale packed bed reactor. The butane hydrogenolysis reactions in the system are extremely temperature sensitive leading to highly nonlinear and nonminimum phase behavior. A number of self-tuning and adaptive algorithms are implemented to control the reactor hot spot temperature. The effect of a ″parameter windup″ phenomenon on these regulators is illustrated and a solution is suggested. A number of other practical considerations which have been found to be useful in implementing these controllers are discussed in some detail.