CAREER: Dynamics and Control of Integrated Microchemical Systems

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ABSTRACTPI: Msayuresh V. KothareInstitution: Lehigh UniversityProposal Number: 0134102Micromechanical systems are a new genergation of minature chemical systems that carry out chemical reactions and separations in precisely fabricated three dimensional microreactor configurations in the size range of a few microns to a few hundred microns. Typical microchemical systems combine fluid handling and reaction capabilities with electronic sensing and actuation, are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing techniques and use silicon and related IC industry materials, polymers, ceramics, glass or quartz as their material of construction. The goal of this integrated research and education program is to study the unique dynamic properties of such integrated microchemical systems and develop a framework for designing implementable feedback control techniques for this class of microsystems. The research program will evolve around the following four central themes (1) dynamic modeling, simulation and dynamical analysis of microchemical systems; (2) model-based feedback controller design using fundamental, reduced order and empirical input-output models; (3) impact of dynamical considerations on microsystem design; and (4) experimental verification of controller design on a prototype microchemical system. The fundamental distributed parameter modles will be used to analyze the nonlinear steady-state and dynamic properties of the microsystem. The reduced order models as well as the empirical models will be used to synthesize low-order model-based controllers suitble for implementation on the experimental microchemical test system. Concepts from distributed and boundary control theory will be employed to study the model-based feedback control formulation of microchemical systems and to develop a technical framework for microsystem controller design. Efficient implementation of these controller algorithms will be investigated by using the experimental prototype microchemical system. Complementary to this research program will be a signicant educational eort to translate the research results to the chemical engineering core curriculum. At the graduate level, (a) lecture modules on microchemical systems uid- ow modeling and microreactor phase-plane analysis will be developed for incorporation in the core graduate level courses in uid mechanics and reactor design; and (b) lecture modules on distributedand boundary control will be developed for incorporation in a graduate level cross-listed elective course on multivariable and nonlinear control. At the undergraduate level, team-based independent research projects will be dened through three avenues: (a) the Opportunities for Student Innovation (OSI) undergraduate research program at Lehigh; (b) summer research and semester research credit at Lehigh; and (c) summer internships at Sandia National Laboratories. In addition, to incorporate microreactor concepts as \core" concepts in the undergraduate curriculum, lecture modules will be developed for the following courses: (a) reactor design, to introduce a microreactor as yet another standard reactor; (b) process control, to demonstrate the dynamics and conventional control of microreactors; and (c) process design, to demonstrate the issues of micro owsheet design, integration, synthesis and control for integrated microplants. Collaboration with industry will be facilitated through the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, a consortiumof microelectronics companies located in Pennsylvania, and a national laboratory through a collaborative agreement with the Sandia National Laboratories.