In this paper, a robust fault detection and isolation (FDI) scheme is developed to monitor a multivariable nonlinear chemical process called the Chylla-Haase polymerization reactor, when it is under the cascade PI control. The scheme employs a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) in an independent mode to model the process dynamics, and using the weighted sum-squared prediction error as...

Aim: To determine the prevalence of tuberculosis among traditional milking cows in southern Zambia and isolation of Mycobacterium spp from the tuberculin positive cow's milk. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,025 cows originating from traditional cattle sector, in Mapepe, Magoye, Monze, Batoka, GARTBatoka, Kalomo areas of Zambia, supplying major quantity of milk to milk processors, were teste...

A new method for online measurement of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in anerobic digesters has been developed based on headspace gas chromatography (HSGC). The method applies ex situ VFA stripping with variable headspace volume and gas analysis by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In each extraction, digester sample was acidified with H(3)PO(4) and NaHSO(4), then heated to st...

Topology for reactive power compensation of dynamic load in closed loop is presented. The scheme consists of Thyristor Binary Switched Capacitor (TBSC) banks and a Thyristor Controlled Reactor (TCR). TBSC is based on a chain of Thyristor Switched Capacitor (TSC) banks arranged in binary sequential manner. TCR capacity is chosen to be smallest of TBSC step size. A transient free switching of TBS...

This work builds on our prior results to develop novel control structure design principles for integrated plants featuring multiple time scale dynamics. Specifically, the concept of self-optimizing control can be used to identify the variables that must be controlled to achieve acceptable economic performance during plant operation. This approach does not, however, provide guidelines on control...

The investigations were made in a loop bioreactor, where biomass was immobilized in the ceramic carrier. The influence of the internal circulation rate on the biodegradation efficiency of brewery wastes by immobilized biomass and on production of surplus sludge was examined. The rates of the internal circulation were 12, 38, 50 dm·h. The experiments were performed at constant loading rate of th...

A laboratory biofilm reactor (LBR) was modified to a new loop-type closed system in order to evaluate novel stents and catheter materials using 3D optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Two metallic specimens, pure nickel and cupronickel (80% Cu-20% Ni), along with two polymers, silicone and polyurethane, were chosen as examples to ratify the system. Each set of specimens was assigned to th...

In this work, a new method of design adaptive controllers for SISO systems based on multiple models and switching is presented. The controller selects the model from a given set, according to a switching rule based on output prediction errors. The goal is to design, at each sample instant, a predictive control law that ensures the robust stability of the closed-loop system and achieves the best...

The paper presents the RELAP5/mod3.3 analysis of natural circulation cooldown with one inactive loop for Nuclear Power Plant Krško (NEK). aim is to determine limiting rates during operator recovery actions minimize effect flow stagnation in loop. Since this typical asymmetrical transient, NEK model split reactor vessel was developed (models and core were axially divided two parts) used analysis...

This paper proposes a novel hierarchical model predictive control (MPC) strategy that guarantees overall system stability. Our method differs significantly from previous approaches to guaranteeing overall stability, which have relied upon a multi-rate framework where the inner loop (low level) is updated at a faster rate than the outer loop (high level), and the inner loop must reach a steady-s...