The state and error-feedback regulator problems for a boundary control catalytic cracking process

This research work is devoted to boundary control of a catalytic cracking reactor using state and error feedback regulators. The process mathematical model is governed by a set of partial differential equations (PDEs), for which infinite-dimensional representation and spectral properties of the system generator are employed to solve the regulation problems. The primary objective is to track a desired output reference trajectory in the presence of disturbances that are generated by a distributed parameter exosystem. Initially, a state feedback stabilizing regulator is designed to drive the process output towards the reference trajectory. The second objective is to develop a dynamic controller that employs the tracking error as input. The closed-loop plant is shown to be exponentially stable and the tracking error asymptotically approaches zero. The performances of the designed regulators are shown through numerical simulations. •The state and error-feedback regulators have been designed for a cracking reactor PDEs model.•The system is under disturbances that are generated by infinite-dimensional exosystem.•The spectral approach is implemented to solve the associated Sylvester operator.•Robustness of the error-feedback regulator has been investigated.