Observer design for a class of multi-output nonlinear systems application to a distillation column

A new approach to design a high gain exponential observer for a class of multi-output nonlinear systems is proposed. The main characteristic of the proposed observer lies in the ease with which it is implemented and in particular calibrated. Indeed, the gain of this observer is constant and as a result it does not necessitate the resolution of any dynamical system. Its design is achieved through a systematic procedure which is detailed. The performances of the proposed observer are illustrated through simulation results dealing with the estimation of the mixture composition and liquid flow rate in each tray of a binary ethanol-methanol distillation column