Inventory minimization design strategy

A polymerization reactor often produces several grades (in terms of composition and viscosity) of the same polymer and therefore the control strategy must be easily adapted to a multi-product plant and in some cases to on-line grade transitions. In the case of a multi-product plant it may be necessary to operate the reactor in terms of rather short campaigns in order to noinimize the finished-product inventory and thus the working capital. In these cases the reactor control system must be designed in such a way as to achieve fast startups while minimizing off-specification polymer formation. 

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