Simultaneous Model Identification and Control of a Semi-batch Chemical Reactor

A commercially useful dehydrohalogenation reaction is controlled by manual addition of a strong base to a semibatch chemical reactor. Because overaddition of base incurs a severe economic penalty, accurate knowledge of process parameters is essential for any automatic control scheme. This investigation uses a sequential parameter estimation/optimal control algorithm to minimize the time to reach the desired composition while providing the desired assurance that excess base was not added.