MODEL-AIDED MEASUREMENT IN CHEMICAL REACTORS

Some reaction-specific variables of chemical reactors can be determined only with difficulty, sometime only with analytical measurements which are corrupted by time lags. In contrast, the approach tries to determine these variables indirectly and without time delay from easily measured variables like temperatures, pressures, flows. These sensor signals are processed together with reactor models to provide the characteristic reaction variables. This contribution discusses the applications of model-based measuring techniques to chemical reactors. The systems are applied to operator assistence, process diagnosis, and reactor control. Their operation is submitted to a critical appraisal.