Bond graph modeling for fault diagnosis: the continuous stirred tank reactor case study

Supervision of chemical and biochemical processes is difficult due to various factors, for example the evolution of non-linear state variables, uncertainties in parameters and disturbances, and system operating conditions. The complexities arise out of the energetic couplings in the model. In this work, the bond graph representation, as a unified and multidisciplinary tool, is used for dynamic modeling and diagnosis for process engineering, incorporating the chemical kinetics of an equilibrated reaction, heat and mass transport phenomena. A pseudo bond graph model technique is applied to a pilot reactor fitted with a mono-fluid heating/cooling system. A modeling structure has been implemented through process sub-units and validated through experimental observations. This technique is proposed to indicate physico-chemical failures, for example matter leakage, caloric isolation, or the occurrence of a secondary reaction or temperature runaway when a very exothermic reaction occurs. It provides the computational algorithms to eliminate unknown variables from coupled thermochemical models and thus generate analytical redundancy relations (ARRs) in terms of measurements and parameters for online diagnosis.