VIBRATIONAL CONTROL OF CHEMICAL REACTORS: STABILIZATION AND CONVERSION IMPROVEMENT IN AN EXOTHERMIC CSTR

Abstract

Vibrational control is an open-loop control strategy implemented by fast zero-average oscillations in the input variables of a system. It has been previously shown that vibrational control of an exothermic reaction in a CSTR, introduced via oscillations in the input flow rate, modifies the dynamic behavior of the reactor and enables its stabilized operation in the unstable steady-state region. In the present paper it is shown that simultaneous vibrations in input flow rate and concentration lead, in addition, to a reduction of the amplitude of oscillations in reactor temperature and/or increase in reactant conversion. It is also shown that the phase shift between the vibrations of the two input variables affects the behavior of the system as well as the amplitude, the frequency and the form of forcing functions