Robust continuous velocity control of convective spatially distributed systems

• Published in: Chemical engineering science Vol. 63; no. 17; pp. 4373 - 4385
• Main Authors: García-Sandoval, J. Paulo, González-Álvarez, Víctor, Pelayo-Ortiz, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Distributed parameter systems; Exact sciences and technology; Feedback control; Hyperbolic PDE; Method of characteristic; Nonlinear robust control; Reactors; Nonlinear robust control; Method of characteristic; Feedback control; Hyperbolic PDE; Distributed parameter systems; Method of characteristics; Integral proportional control; Partial differential equation; Robust control; Design; Plug flow; Feedback; First order; Flow velocity; Reactor; State estimation; Distributed parameter system
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2008.06.004

In this work a robust nonlinear scheme is proposed to control spatially distributed convective systems described by first-order hyperbolic partial differential equations by manipulating the flow velocity. The proposed scheme is designed after the method of characteristics is used to establish key structural properties of the system dynamics. The resulting feedback control, which can be seen as a proportional integral controller with variable integration time, does not require measurements for several axial points nor infinite dimensional state estimations. The proposed controller is applied successfully to two heat exchange simulation examples and a nonisothermical plug flow reactor. It is shown that it is robust in the face of uncertain parameters and load disturbances. Finally, the performance of the robust controller is compared to other control applications.