Temperature control of a batch polymerization reactor using nonlinear predictive control algorithm

비선형 예측제어 알고리즘을 이용한 회분식 중합 반응기의 온도제어

Nonlinear unified predictive control(UPC) algorithm was applied to the temperature control of a batch polymerization reactor for polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA). Before the polymerization reaction is initiated, the parameters of the process model are determined by the recursive least squares(RLS) method. During the reaction, nonlinearities due to generation of heat of reaction and variation of heat transfer coefficients are predicted through the nonlinear model developed. These nonlinearities are added to the process output from the linear process model. And then, the predicted process output is used to calculate the control output sequence. The performance of nonlinear control algorithm was verified by simulation and compared with that of the linear unified predictive control algorithm. In the experiment of a batch PMMA polymerization, nonlinear unified predictive control was implemented to regulate the temperature of the reactor, and the validity of the nonlinear model was verified through the experimental results. The performance of the nonlinear controller turned out to be superior to that of the linear controller for tracking abrupt changes in setpoint.