Nonlinear adaptive control of a continuous stirred tank reactor with time varying parameters

The control of nonlinear multivariable continuous stirred tank reactors with time varying unknown parameters is a challenging area. This paper is concerned with a framework that combines a nonlinear observer for estimating unknown and time varying kinetic rates in reactor and a generic model control algorithm to manage the set points variations of the outputs. This nonlinear adaptive control scheme can perform well in the presence of external disturbances and it is easy to tune the design parameters. A series of computer simulations are provided to verify the ability of the proposed approach.