ROBUST CONTROL OF BATCH REACTORS

Abstract

The design of robust nonlinear feedback controller is analysed for a trajectory tracking in a single-input single-output nonlinear state variable system x = f(x) + g(x)u, y=cx which arises in nonlinear chemical processes particularly in batch reactor control problems. Simulation results for the batch reactor temperature tracking problem show the effectiveness of the control scheme and its robustness to modelling errors. The method is also applicable to multi-input multi-output system where the number of inputs is equal to that of outputs. The controller design is also analyzed for situations wrier: the kinetics, the activation energy and Ihe heat of reaction are unknown and also only limited measurement of state-variables are available. The method of Youcef-Toumi and Ito (1987) is applied to such problems and the effectiveness of control system is shown by simulation.