Digital computer control of polymerization process

Claim 2

Process according to claim 1, wherein thE values of process variables stored in the array X(N) are more particularly values, in the several reactors, of a thermal history parameter, hereinafter designated ''''HDT'''' of the polymerizable process material such that HDT Hdt wherein H 2T/18 T temperature t time of subjection of the polymerizable process material to the temperature T wherein the following further steps are periodically performed measuring the temperature in each reactor, generating a digital signal for each temperature so measured proportional to said temperature, and storing the digital signals together with other digital signals in memory sectors of said digital computer designated as follows, in FORTRAN notation Designation of Memory Sector(s) Value(s) Stored X(N) as a specific instance of X(N) referred to in claim 1, and as a member of an array of subscripted memory sectors, one for each reactor, the value of HDT for the contents of the Nth reactor in the train T(N) as a member of an array of subscripted memory sectors, one for each reactor, the value of the temperature in the Nth reactor in the train storing in the memory of said computer, in addition to the program set forth in claim 1, a further machine program corresponding to the FORTRAN program DO 11 N 1, NUMBER H(N) 2 ** (T(N)/18) 11 X(N) X(N) *DTIME causing said computer to periodically execute the above program at intervals of time DTIME, in addition to executing the program of claim 1 to update the values of X(N) for materials balance, thereby at each execution of the programs generating digital signal values of X(N) updated additionally for generation in the reactors, and storing said additionally updated signals back in the array of memory sectors X(N) in place of the digital signals stored in the array of sectors at the beginning of that execution.

Claim 3

Process according to claim 3, wherein the rate of flow of activator to the first reactor in the train is controlled in response to digital signals generated and stored in accordance with the process of claim 3, the further steps which consist in conducting upon these digital signals the summation thereafter subjecting these digital signals to the manipulation

Claim 4

RT RR *60/Cs thereafter subjecting these digital signals to the manipulation thereafter further subjecting these digital signals to the manipulation

Claim 5

A0 AML*(RT/rML) and adjusting the flow of activator proportionally to the finally generated signal Ao, the notation of the mathematical expressions hereinabove being as follows: DTIME interval of time for each cyclic repetition of the calculations HDT the value of the integral as specified in claim 3 NUMBER number of reactors in the train of reactors HDT(N) value of the integral Hdt for the contents of the nth reactor F rate of flow of reactants V reactor volume HDT(N-1) value of the integral Hdt for the contents of the (N-1)th reactor T(N) temperature in the Nth reactor H 2T/18 T temperature in degrees Fahrenheit t time of subjection of reactants to temperature T Equations (II) and (III) are in terms of FORTRAN N as a FORTRAN subscript, ascribes the variable which it subscripts to the contents of the Nth reactor in the train of reactors n as a subscript, ascribes the variable which it sUbscripts to the contents of the nth reactor in the train of reactors Cs the projected final conversion of the monomers charged RT the target basic rate of conversion, referred to 0* F., the sub-subscripts ''''new'''' and ''''old'''' indicating the value of this target rate before and after the operation indicated by equation (2) Hn value of H in the nth reactor Tau holdup time in the reactor in question Xn has the value (70-Cn/20) Cn conversion in the nth reactor rML has the value indicated by equation (2) and is the apparent reaction rate up to midline, referenced to 0* F. CML is the actual conversion, measured at midline, of the reactor train by means of a densitometer In equation (6), the integral expression was evaluated by computations of claim 7, integrated up to the midline reactor Ao value defined by equation (7) applied as a control to the flow of activator