Response of Dynamic Processes with Control Implemented on a Noisy Quantum Computer

A major challenge to determining the applicability (and potential outperformance over classical computers) of a quantum computer (QC) within chemical manufacturing processes is quantum noise. Computations by a QC are error-prone due to the influence of quantum noise inherent to the hardware. Errors in control inputs may destabilize a chemical process and lead to unsafe conditions for manufacturing personnel and the environment. The response of a process with control implemented on a QC to errors due to noise must be investigated thoroughly. In this work, the impacts of control input errors due to quantum noise on a process are modeled as bounded additive exogenous signals. Process and control element dynamics dictate the response of the process due to perturbations from exogenous signals. A theoretical analysis of the influence of process and control element dynamics on the response of a process to errors in control implemented on a QC is presented. Using simulations of a process example, a demonstration of the interplay between process response to noise, process dynamics, and control valve dynamics is illustrated. The results evaluate, for a specific process, aspects of how process and control element dynamics may mitigate the impact of noise.