OPTIMIZED MULTILOOP CONTROL OF THE VAN DE VUSSE REACTOR USING RGA AND NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Controlling multivariable, non-isothermal chemical reactors is especially important due to the complex behavior they often exhibit. In the Van de Vusse reactor, the presence of both parallel and consecutive reactions adds to this complexity by introducing strong temperature dependencies and tight interactions between process variables. These factors make achieving accurate and stable control a significant challenge. This study focuses on enhancing the reactor’s control performance by carefully selecting the most effective input-output pairings and optimizing the controller parameters. In the proposed approach, the most effective input-output pairings for applying multiloop control are first determined using the Relative Gain Array method. Once these pairings are established, the controller parameters for each loop are fine-tuned using nonlinear programming to achieve better overall performance. The simulation results show that the proposed optimization method significantly outperforms traditional manual tuning by improving system response, reducing the time to reach setpoints, and enhancing control stability. The main contribution of this work is the integration of the Relative Gain Array with nonlinear programming to optimally design and tune multiloop controllers for the Van de Vusse process. This combined approach leads to more accurate tuning and better dynamic performance, demonstrating its effectiveness for controlling complex chemical systems.