I'm a final year student studying chemical engineering. I'm currently working on optimizing batch reactors using PID (specifically first
order exothermic reactions). I was wondering if you could offer some advice on where I could get information to guide me in my project. Thanks
-Scott

 

Perry's and Chilton, 6th edition covers both batch reactors and process controls. Other good references would include your kinetics text (Levenspiel) and your control text (Stephanopolous).

PID Batch control should include review of available reactor data. Confirm the first-order beaviour. Typically, reactor temperature is the process variable, while product purity may be reviewed at the end of batch followed by a polishing step. How the reactor temperature is controlled is another factor: What is the heating/cooling medium? Is it introduced in a jacket or are reactor contents pumped through a heat exchanger? Is the controller output sent to a mixing valve or are there two distinct control actuations (one heat and one cool)? In both cases, a duplex control may be utilized to allow reactor heating to exothermic conditions, then provide cooling to prevent a runaway batch. Since these are two distinct steps, each may call for different algorithms: the heat-up may require PD control and at temperature, switch to PI control.