ADAPTIVE POLE-PLACEMENT CONTROL OF A CONTINUOUS POLYMERIZATION REACTOR

A simulation of the polymerization of methylmethacrylate in a CSTR is adaptively controlled by two types of pole-placement algorithms. The strongly nonlinear polymerization process, exhibiting multiple steady states, presents difficult control problems for conventional feedback controllers. The performance of an adaptive explicit SISO controller and that of an adaptive implicit multivariable controller are compared and evaluated as applied to this process. The plant is identified by a recursive least squares estimator. Modifications made to the estimation algorithm help to maintain adequate closed-loop results. A simple warm-up procedure is introduced that successfully initializes the controller and estimator during plant start-up. Good servo and regulatory control are achieved by both pole-placement schemes.