Optimal Design and Control of a Multiscale Model for a Packed Bed Chemical-Looping Combustion Reactor

Abstract Chemical-Looping Combustion (CLC) is a novel carbon capture technology that can be implemented in fossil-fired plants to facilitate the isolation and capture of CO2. In this work, we present a dynamic multiscale model of this process and implement simultaneous design and control of this reactor in order to investigate its feasibility for industrial use. The model considers both the macroscale reactor behavior and the microscale particle behavior. The optimal design and control formulation is posed as a nonlinear optimization problem that was solved using the direct transcription approach. The optimal solution is compared to that obtained from a sequential design and control approach. The results show that the sequential approach converged to a design that was not able to control the outlet temperature adequately, thus illustrating the benefits of a simultaneous design and control approach.