APPLICATION OF RESET CONTROL TO A BATCH REACTOR IN THE PRECIOUS GROUP METALS INDUSTRY

Abstract

Application of reset control to the temperature control loop of an exothermic batch reactor in the Precious Group Metals industry is investigated in this paper. Through modelling and simulation of the process temperature response to cooling, a comparison is drawn between the existing PI controller, an optimized linear PI controller, an optimized linear PI controller with lead, and a reset controller. The simulations confirm the ability of reset control to significantly reduce temperature overshoot as well as decrease the settling time in this process control loop. In addition, the simulations uncover the necessity of applying a non-zero initial condition to the reset controller in this specific control application. The main purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the potential for novel application of reset control with non-zero initial conditions to an existing industrial process in the hydrometallurgical industry. In the literature actual industrial applications of reset control appear to be scarce, and the application of a non-zero initial condition to the reset controller may well be unique. The paper also highlights some typical practical issues, including effects of dead time and noise, which are involved with the application of theoretical control solutions in an industrial environment.