ISSN:
0032-3888
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Chemical Engineering
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
The theory of optimal control is used to analyze the performance of a batch PMMA (poly(methylmethacrylate)) polymerization reactor. Optimal dynamic profiles of temperature, initiator feed rate, and initiator concentration in the reactor are generated in order for specified conversion of monomer, number molecular weight, and polydispersity of the final product to be obtained. Based on tae physical limitations of the system, some restrictions are imposed to the control variable variations. The application of Pontryagin's Minimum Principle leads to a mixed initial/final value problem, which is solved by discretizing the control law in the state-space, with the usage of a first order holder. A gradient method is used to minimize the Hamiltonian. The simulation results show that the gel-effect equation and restrictions imposed on the system are of primary importance to the analysis of the reactor performance.
Additional Material:
9 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pen.760301905
Permalink
