Suboptimal control synthesis for state and input delayed quadratic systems

In this article a suboptimal linear-state feedback controller for multi-delay quadratic system is investigated. Optimal state and input coefficients resulting from the expansion over a hybrid basis of block pulse and Legendre polynomials are first obtained by formulating a nonlinear programming problem. Afterwards, suboptimal control gains are found by solving a least square problem constructed with optimal coefficients of the open loop study. A sufficient condition for the exponential stability of the closed loop is obtained from generalized Grönwall–Bellman lemma. The Van de Vusse chemical reactor case is handled allowing to validate the proposed technique.

Investigation of Oxy-Fuel Combustion through Reactor Network and Residence Time Data

Oxy-fuel combustion is a promising strategy to minimize the environmental impact of combustion-based energy conversion. Simple and flexible tools are required to facilitate the successful integration of such strategies at the industrial level. This study couples measured residence time distribution with chemical reactor network analysis in a close-to-reality combustor. This provides detailed knowledge about the various mixing and reactive characteristics arising from the use of the two different oxidizing streams.

Spectral, Entropy and Bifurcation Analysis of the Dynamics of a Catalyst Chemical Reverse-Flow Tubular Reactor

Oscillations, including chaotic ones, can spontaneously appear in chemical reactors or lean premixed combustors. Such behavior of the system is undesirable and should be identified at the stage of its modeling. This article analyzes the behavior of reverse-flow tubular chemical reactor with longitudinal dispersion in terms of chaotic oscillations. The purpose of using reverse flow is to increase the conversion degree. For the analysis of the reactor, among others, spectral analysis, entropy, and bifurcation analysis were used. The obtained results show the chaotic behavior of the reactor in a wide range of changes in the parameter’s values.

Oxidative Coupling of Methane for Ethylene Production: Reviewing Kinetic Modelling Approaches, Thermodynamics and Catalysts

Ethylene production via oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) represents an interesting route for natural gas upscaling, being the focus of intensive research worldwide. Here, OCM developments are analysed in terms of kinetic mechanisms and respective applications in chemical reactor models, discussing current challenges and directions for further developments. Furthermore, some thermodynamic aspects of the OCM reactions are also revised, providing achievable olefins yields in a wide range of operational reaction conditions. Finally, OCM catalysts are reviewed in terms of respective catalytic performances and thermal stability, providing an executive summary for future studies on OCM economic feasibility.

Homotopic Parametric Continuation Method for Determining Stationary States of Chemical Reactors with Dispersion

Physical processes occurring in devices with distributed variables and a turbulent tide with a dispersion of mass and heat are often modeled using systems of nonlinear equations. Solving such a system is sometimes impossible in an analytical manner. The iterative methods, such as Newton’s method, are not always sufficiently effective in such cases. In this article, a combination of the homotopy method and the parametric continuation method was proposed to solve the system of nonlinear differential equations. These methods are symmetrical, i.e., the calculations can be made by increasing or decreasing the value of the parameters. Thanks to this approach, the determination of all roots of the system does not require any iterative method. Moreover, when the solutions of the system are close to each other, the proposed method easily determines all of them. As an example of the method use a mathematical model of a non-adiabatic catalytic pseudohomogeneous tubular chemical reactor with longitudinal dispersion was chosen.

Longitudinal scattering coefficient obtained by hydroacoustic measurement and by conservative tracer

The objective of the present work was to determine the value of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient (DL) of the Chicamtoltina stream (Alta Gracia) by means of two different techniques, in order to compare the values obtained. The first technique consisted of applying a developed formula that includes a detailed description of hydrodynamic parameters obtained by gauging with a hydroacoustic instrument, while the second technique consisted of injecting a conservative tracer, using the same approach as the non-ideal chemical reactor theory of flow with dispersion. This work was carried out at low flow conditions (dry period) and at high flow conditions (wet period). It was found that, either for high flow or low flow, the values of the dispersion coefficient obtained by both techniques have good agreement, fitting better in the dry period than in the wet period. Due to the fact that frequent gauging campaigns are carried out in this stream, it is concluded that with similar flow characteristics and morphology of the section, the gauging data can be used to determine the DL coefficient, in order to incorporate reliable data that can be applied to pollutant transport models.