Model‐based fault diagnosis in closed‐loop safety‐critical chemical reactors: An experimental study

This experimental study investigates fault detection and estimation in a continuous stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR) system under closed‐loop feedback control, including an analysis of different manipulative inputs for temperature regulation. A novel fault diagnosis approach is proposed, combining residual signal analysis and T2 statistic for real‐time fault detection and size estimation. The closed‐loop system demonstrated robust setpoint tracking and fault tolerance across a range of fault magnitudes. Residual signals serve as direct estimators of fault size, critical for adaptive control, while the T2 statistic enhances reliability by identifying deviations from normal behavior with fault‐confidence thresholds. As a step towards fault‐tolerant control, the proposed methodology lays the groundwork for advanced control strategies that can ensure safe and efficient operation of chemical reactor systems.