Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

Two-position feedback temperature control of the mixture in a batch reactor with the strongly exothermic autocatalytic reaction is studied. The control is based on continuous measurement of reaction temperature, evaluation of its time derivative and periodical determination of conversion of the reactant. On basis of numerical solution of equations of the mathematical model of the reactor is then evaluated the highest operating temperature of the mixture at which is still secured a safe operation of the reactor and trajectories along which the given operating temperature could be reached in the shortest time period. The manipulated variable was the flow rate of heat carrier into the cooler. Sampling of the reaction temperature and two-position switching over of flow rate of the heat carrier was performed in real time by use of the digital measuring center Hewlett-Packard 3052A. In the experiments has been verified the effect of changes in reactivity of the mixture, accuracy of the mathematical reactor model and effect of additional noise in the measured reaction temperature on control safety. Results of the experiments have proved that the proposed control algorithm enables safe control of the reaction temperature also in cases when the operating reactor states are unstable at the open control loop and when the cooler has a slow response to changes in the manipulated variable.