Modelling of the imperfect mixing in a hybrid exothermic chemical reactor with simulated heat of reaction

Abstract The main goal is to design a hybrid reactor that exhibits nonlinear behaviour, i.e., multiplicity of steady states or limit cycles. Then, the hybrid system can be used for testing new control algorithms. In the hybrid reactor, the reactor vessel and jacket are real, but the chemical reaction is simulated by means of the electric heater. To intensify the nonlinear effects in the designed system, a mathematical model of the hybrid reactor is developed and analyzed. It is assumed that the reactor content in not well-mixed and the reactor volume can be divided into two compartments. It is also assumed that the reaction heat (simulated by the heater) is constrained by its maximum value. Then, the dynamical behaviour of the system was studied based on the bifurcation analysis and the main bifurcation parameter was the flow rate F j of coolant in the reactor jacket. Limit cycles and hysteresis were observed in a wider range of flow rates F j after increasing the imperfect mixing effects in the mathematical model. Qualitatively the same results were obtained for a greater enthalpy of reaction. The obtained results have shown how to intensify the nonlinear effects in the designed hybrid reactor.