An experimenta
l study on the on-
line optimizing contro
l of a samp
le free radica
l bu
lk po
lymerization system, name
ly, methy
l methacry
late (MMA), is carried out in a rheometer–reactor assemb
ly. Two initiator
loadings and three cases invo
lving externa
l disturbances (power fai
lure) are studied. The disturbances are assumed to be of two kinds: one that
leads to a sudden increase in the temperature of the reaction mass (coo
ling water pump fai
lure) over the p
lanned temperature history,
l157"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml157&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=821746cc7a1542ce18baedaa30faf6d1"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">T(t), and one
leading to a sudden drop in the temperature (heater fai
lure). The temperature and the viscosity,
l158"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml158&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=4160a29fc1696eb17ae0d59fb0e065b0"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">η, histories are used to describe the ‘state’ (conversion,
l159"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml159&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=e4a6eeab92222fc34b1f666bd09551ce"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">xm, and weight-average mo
lecu
lar weight,
l160"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml160&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=2fce1388fab9ceac93d03238bbf224ee"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">Mw) of the po
lymerizing mass. The po
lymerization is first carried out under an
off-line computed optima
l temperature history,
l161"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml161&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=3c9a8c9f7f574fab0998e6ec4d7252ba"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">Top(t), obtained using the adapted jumping gene version of the e
litist genetic a
lgorithm (GA-II-aJG). A p
lanned disturbance is introduced after the start of po
lymerization and continues for a pre-specified duration. A new optima
l temperature history,
l162"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml162&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=bbd942e3f789400c71f448b14957403c"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">Treop(t), is ca
lcu
lated
on-line (in about 3 min of rea
l time) using GA-II-aJG. This is imp
lemented as soon as the disturbance is rectified. Experimenta
l va
lues of
l163"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml163&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=cf25ca5281db1d8e4429892e430f66d9"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">xm(t),
l164"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml164&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=2b30bb3378bf3d233f53b33baefe5947"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">Mw(t) and
l165"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml165&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=30c9b0a4cd34c3a5d2e524bfdb0d0ea7"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">η(t) are a
lso measured. These are observed to be in good agreement with mode
l predictions for a
ll the cases. It is found that the information on the viscosity of the reaction mass can be used effective
ly for on-
line optimizing contro
l. This can he
lp ‘save’ the batch (give a product having the desired va
lues of the average mo
lecu
lar weights) optima
lly, in as short a reaction time as possib
le. The effect of re-tuning of the mode
l parameters using experimenta
l data on the temperature,
l166"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml166&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=637770d171737d902c10633f1cc8c42a"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">Texp(t), and the viscosity,
l167"">le=""text-decoration:none; color:black"" href=""/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6TFK-4N68NKN-1&_mathId=mml167&_user=10&_cdi=5229&_rdoc=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=031aa9c9b06aef0f5720513f643d2f17"" title=""Click to view the MathML source"">η(t), is a
lso demonstrated.