Control of an adiabatic continuous reactor by feeding catalyst
Algorithms have been presented, analyzed and experimentally tested to stabilize the reaction temperature at constant inlet temperature and composition of the feed by controlled dispensing of the catalyst. The information for the control element is the course of the reaction temperature. If the temperature of the reaction mixture is below the set point, the catalyst is being fed into the reactor at a constant rate. If the reaction temperature is higher the catalyst dispenser is blocked; dispensing of the catalyst is not resumed until the set point temperature has been reached again. The amount of catalyst added is a function of the duration of the switching cycle. The effect has been discussed of the form of this function on the course of the switching cycle. The results have been tested experimentally on a laboratory reactor controlled in an unstable steady state.