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

Abstract 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 T 2 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 T 2 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.