A Scheduling and Nonlinear Model Predictive Control Strategy for Continuous Polymerization Reactors

Abstract

A novel formulation for addressing planning, scheduling, and control problems in a Methyl‐Methacrylate CSTR is presented. Improved optimal solutions can be obtained by using a simultaneous solution approach where the interactions among these problems are explicitly taken into account, in contrast with the classical sequential or decoupled way to address it. In previous works a cyclic production strategy for addressing production patterns has been used. For real‐time implementation an extended‐horizon production strategy has been used. Moreover, the open‐loop optimal dynamic transition trajectories among target polymerization grades are closed‐loop implemented using a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control strategy for dealing with disturbance rejection and set‐point tracking issues.