A control scheme for packed bed reactors having a changing catalyst activity profile. I: On-line parameter estimation and feedback control

The efficient control of an exothermic packed bed reactor is demonstrated in concert with the distributed parameter state estimation of temperature and concentration profiles and on-line estimation of the catalyst activity profile. The position-dependent catalyst activity is estimated using recursiv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of process control 1992, Vol.2 (1), p.23-42
Main Authors: Windes, Larry C., Ray, W.Harmon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
catalyst activity
packed bed reactors
parameter estimation
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Summary:The efficient control of an exothermic packed bed reactor is demonstrated in concert with the distributed parameter state estimation of temperature and concentration profiles and on-line estimation of the catalyst activity profile. The position-dependent catalyst activity is estimated using recursive least squares with a variable forgetting factor, a distributed mass balance model and the current estimated temperature profile. The temperature level in the reactor is regulated through control of the maximum estimated reactor temperature using the reactor coolant temperature as the manipulated variable. These methods are demonstrated both through closed-loop simulation and experiments with a laboratory-scale reactor for the partial oxidation of methanol. The experiments included both setpoint changes and disturbance rejection. The estimation and control system effectively overcomes errors in initial conditions, heat transfer parameters and kinetic parameters.
ISSN:0959-1524
1873-2771
DOI:10.1016/0959-1524(92)80015-P