SYNTHESIS OF MULTIVARIABLE NONLINEAR CONTROLLERS BY INPUT OUTPUT LINEARIZATION

This work concerns the synthesis of nonlinear controllers for multivariable nonlinear processes that make the closed‐loop system linear in an input/output sense. Necessary and sufficient conditions for input/output linearizability via static state feedback are derived as well as formulas for the feedback law. Once such a static state feedback is applied to the process, an external multivariable linear controller with integral action can control it to set point. The proposed control methodology is tested through simulations in a semibatch copolymerization reactor example. Copyright © 1990 American Institute of Chemical Engineers