Bilinear Modelling and Control of Fixed-Bed Beactors

In studies on control of fixed-bed reactors little attention has been given to the problem of controlling a reactor subject to large input disturbances. This paper proposes a new idea for modelling and control of fixed-bed reactors, which is based on a bilinear model instead of a linear one. Using the suggested approach via parameter estimation the reduced bilinear models of a typical laboratory-sale-fixed-bed reactor are developed, and shown to be able to approximate the actual reactor transients more accurately than linear one over a much wider range around the operating state. Based on the bilinear model an observer-based controller design of the fixed-bed reactor is suggested.