Residual neural network-based observer design for continuous stirred tank reactor systems

Continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is a common reactor in the chemical industry. The accurate observation of the concentration conversion rate of the mixture and the internal temperature of the reaction vessel is a prerequisite for obtaining the desired mixture. This paper proposes a novel observer based on residual neural networks for CSTR systems. Firstly, the mathematical model of the CSTR reaction is given, as well as a detailed description of the structure and equations of the residual neural networks and the designed observer. Then the matrix method is used for the nonlinear isolation of the residual neural networks and the theory of quadratic constraints for nonlinear activation functions of the neural networks is applied. Thus, the convergence of the proposed observer is analyzed theoretically in detail. Finally, the numerical simulations are implemented to demonstrate that the proposed residual neural network-based observer can quickly and accurately observe the state changes during the CSTR reaction.