Analysis and Control of Nonlinear Process Systems

Although nonlinear control is traditionally an area of interest in process systems engineering which is of great practical importance, many process engineers have difficulty with the paradigms and results of modern nonlinear control theory because they lack the mathematical background usually associated with such methods or because of their computational difficulty and small-scale applicability in the general case. This textbook overcomes these barriers.

Features:

• Mathematical preliminaries for readers from a process engineering background.

• Constant reference to the finite-dimensional linear time-invariant continuous case as a basis for extension to the nonlinear situation.

• Theories and analytical methods laid out clearly and straightforwardly with exercises to reaffirm the techniques as they are taught.

• Emphasis on process knowledge and first-principles-based models in obtaining feasible and effective solutions in particular circumstances from general cases.

• Simple examples and case studies.

Katalin Hangos obtained M.Sc.s in chemistry and computer science form Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest, and a Ph.D. and D.Sc from the Hungarian Academy of Science. She is currently a professor at the Hungarian Academy as well as a visiting professor at the University of Queensland and at the Technical University of Denmark. Her current research interests include: intelligent control systems and the theoretical foundations of model-based operator support systems. She teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in intelligent control and the analysis and control of non-linear systems.

József Bokor is the Research Director of the Systems and Control Laboratory at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He obtained his M.Sc. from the Technical University of Budapest and his Ph.D. and D.Sc. from the Hungarian Academy. His research interests include Identification problems in closed-loop systems, fault detection and modelling of dynamic systems with associated realisation theories. He teaches postgraduate courses in multi-variable feedback systems, system identification and control of non-linear systems.

Gábor Szederkényi has just obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Veszprém but has already published papers in a number of peer-reviewed journals and is now a research fellow at the Hungarian Academy. His research interests include: analysis and control of non-linear systems and model-based fault detection and diagnosis in non-linear systems. He currently teaches undergraduates in linear control theory and discrete mathematics.