Optimal sensor location with an application to a packed bed tubular reactor

A number of approaches to the optimal selection of sensor locations are presented, and some of these are applied to determine optimal thermocouple positions in a packed bed tubular reactor. As expected, the optimal locations were found to be those surrounding the hot spot location. The theory also revealed that for good state estimation and for goodlinear quadratic control of the reactor, only one or two well located temperature measurements are necessary rather than the entire temperature profile.