Computer control algorithms for a tubular ammonia reactor

The specific objective of this paper is to develop direct digital control strategies for an ammonia reactor using the quadratic regulator theory and compare the performance of the resultant control system with that under conventional PID regulators. The controller design studies are based on a ninth-order state-space model obtained from the exact nonlinear distributed model using linearization and lumping approximations. The evaluation of these controllers, with reference to their disturbance rejection capabilities and transient response characteristics, is carried out using hybrid computer simulation. The liner state-space model is simulated on the analog processor of the AD511 hybrid computer and the control algorithms are implemented on the digital computer.