Model Predictive Path Integral Control of a Temperature Profile in Tubular Chemical Reactor with Recycle

Several non-isothermal dispersion reactions accounting for energy and mass transport in a recycle stream are carried out in tubular reactor with recycle. These processes often have spatiotemporal distribution, stochastic disturbances, and recycle loop dead-time characteristics, described by nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs). This paper is devoted to the design of a model predictive path integral (MPPI) controller to stabilize the axial temperature profile control in tubular reactor. An array of reduced-order approximations by virtue of Karhunen-Loe`ve decomposition (KLD), and then a nonlinear model suitable for control purposes is developed. Subsequently, the reduction model is embedded into the design of MPPI controller. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the MPPI controller presented a good behavior to eliminate the oscillations of the temperature profile in tubular reactor.