Estimation and Control in Polymerization Reactors. A Review

ELIÇABE, G. E.; MEIRA, G. R.

POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE

Año: 1988 vol. 28 p. 121 - 135

0032-3888

The control of polymerization reactors is particularly arduous for several reasons: a) difficulty in specification of the control objectives; b) high exothermicities and viscosities involved; c) complicated process dynamics; and d) problems with measurement of the polymer structure. Several solutions have been proposed. For example, in the ´chemical approach´, open loop methods have been developed based on the detailed dynamic models of the processes. Any control technique requires a knowledge of the process to be controlled through mathematical models. These models may be developed either from detailed mass and energy balances, or through empirical input-output or ´black-box´ techniques. The most promising control techniques are probably optimal control, adaptive control, and their combinations. Optimal control is powerful because it utilizes directly the detailed nonlinear plant model. Adaptive control developed for linear plants has already proven satisfactory, in spite of the highly nonlinear nature of the polymerizations. Undoubtedly, improved solutions will be obtained when this technique is extended to nonlinear systems.