An automata-based approach to synthesize untimed operating procedures in batch chemical processes

Systematic synthesis of untimed operating procedures has always been considered as an important design issue for batch chemical processes. An automaton-based method is developed in the present study to perform this task automatically. On the basis of the proposed methodical model-building principles, two distinct types of automata can be constructed to characterize the plant behaviors and control specifications, respectively. An admissible supervisor can be produced by applying the parallel composition operation with these models. For the purpose of identifying the most efficient operation procedures, the supervisor can then be integrated with a set of auxiliary automata to set the operation target(s) and, also, to impose upper limits on the total numbers of actuator actions and operation steps. Three examples are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and correctness of the proposed approach.