Controller design and performance analysis for a reactive extrusion process

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents the design and analysis of a process control strategy for a reactive extrusion polypropylene degradation process. The primary control objective is to continuously produce polypropylene with desired properties (viscosity) despite variations in the properties of the feed material. The viscosity of the polypropylene, measured using an In‐line Wedge Rheometer, is controlled by manipulating the feed concentration of the peroxide which acts as the initiator for the degradation reaction. An empirical model of the reactive degradation process is developed which describes the process dynamics and the characteristic process disturbances. Minimum variance (MV), constrained minimum variance (CMV), and pole placement (PP) controllers are first evaluated and compared in simulation. Then, a pole placement controller is implemented on the actual reactive extrusion process, with results being presented for the response of the controlled process to load disturbances due to feed material changes.