Fuzzy control of a PMMA batch reactor: Development and experimental testing

Abstract The present work is concerned with the design and experimental testing of a fuzzy control algorithm for temperature control of a methyl methacrylate (MMA) batch polymerization reactor. Ethyl acetate is used as solvent and benzoyl peroxide is the reaction initiator. The polymerization reaction is considered a challenge since it presents non-linear and transient behavior. The development of the fuzzy control and its comparison to a conventional PID (velocity form) controller is shown. In the design of PID–fuzzy control, the knowledge obtained from the process reaction curve procedure is employed to determine proper membership functions. Fine tuning is obtained altering the output scaling factor and cardinality. A digital filter was successfully used in order to overcome the oscillatory behavior of the temperature. According to experimental results, the PID–fuzzy was considered more suitable and reliable for this polymerization process control since it outperformed PID velocity form algorithm.

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