Adaptive Robust Generic Model Control of High‐Purity Internal Thermally Coupled Distillation Column

The internal thermally coupled distillation column (ITCDIC) is a frontier in energy‐saving distillation research. The process inside a high‐purity ITCDIC is of great nonlinear dynamics, which trouble the conventional control schemes. A multivariable adaptive robust generic model control (ARGMC) is presented to solve the difficulties, where an ARX model is derived and a recursive least squares estimation (RLSE) method is introduced. The benzene/toluene system is studied as an illustrative example. The results of ARGMC are compared with the robust generic model control (RGMC) and traditional PID control in detail. The performances in both servo control and regulatory control confirm the accuracy and validity of ARGMC for the high‐purity ITCDIC process.     

基于一般模型控制的高纯内部热耦合精馏策略

内部热耦合精馏塔（ITCDIC）是精馏节能控制的一个前沿。本文提出了一种基于一般模型控制（GMC）的内部热耦合精馏塔的先控策略,以解决导致传统线性控制策略难以得到较好控制效果的高纯下内部热耦合精馏塔的非线性。以苯-甲苯物系作为研究实例,对所提出的高纯ITCDIC控制策略进行了详细研究。设定值改变和过程扰动下的控制品质表明了所提出的高纯ITCDIC的GMC控制策略的切实有效性。     

Generalized generic model control of high‐purity internal thermally coupled distillation column based on nonlinear wave theory

A new model‐based control strategy for the internal thermally coupled distillation column (ITCDIC) is presented. Based on the nonlinear wave theory that describes the nonlinear dynamics in the separation processes, a simplified nonlinear wave model is established that concerns both the wave propagation and the profile shape. An advanced controller (WGGMC) is formulated by combining the nonlinear wave model with a generalized generic model control (GGMC). Compared with a conventional generic model controller based on a data‐driven model (TGMC), and another wave‐model based generic model controller (WGMC) developed in our previous work, WGGMC exhibits the best performances in both servo control and regulatory control. Furthermore, WGGMC can handle a very‐high‐purity system of ITCDIC with top product composition of 0.99999, while the other two controllers fail to work. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4133–4141, 2013     

Adaptive Internal Model Control of a High‐Purity Heat‐Integrated Air Separation Column

An internal model control scheme based on a second‐order internal model (SI‐IMC) is proposed for the heat‐integrated air separation column (HIASC). An adaptive internal model control (ASI‐IMC) scheme is further presented to make the model more accurate. The IMC scheme based on the first‐order model (F‐IMC) and the multi‐loop PID (M‐PID) scheme are also explored as the comparison basis of ASI‐IMC and SI‐IMC schemes. Comparative researches among these four control schemes are carried out in detail. The results indicate that ASI‐IMC presents the best performances among the four control schemes in both servo control and regulatory control, which proves the improvement of ASI‐IMC over the SI‐IMC and the superiority of ASI‐IMC for the high‐purity HIASC.     

Investigating Control Schemes for an Ideal Thermally Coupled Distillation Column (ITCDIC)

The control schemes of an ITCDIC are addressed. A modified IMC scheme (M‐IMC) is proposed to overcome model/plant mismatch of the Internal Model Control scheme (IMC). Predictive PID control (P‐PID) and Adaptive Predictive control (AP‐PID) schemes are also presented to improve effectively the response speed of the multi‐loop PID control (M‐PID) and eliminate its residual error. A detailed comparative investigation on the above five control schemes was performed. Simulation results demonstrate all the schemes are able to keep two end products within their specifications. M‐IMC is the best one with the fastest response speed. AP‐PID is the second choice since it is better at dealing with sudden set‐point transitions and complex external disturbances than P‐PID. M‐PID cannot compete with AP‐PID and P‐PID due to its slow servo response speed and large residual error. IMC ranks last as it is extremely sensitive to changes in the operating conditions.     

内部热耦合精馏塔基于非理想物系的最优评价

Internal thermally coupled distillation column(ITCDIC) is a frontier in energy saving distillation research. In this paper, the optimal assessment on the energy saving and the operating cost for ITCDIC of nonideal mixture is explored. An evaluating method is proposed, and the pertinent optimization model is then derived. The ethanol-water system is studied as an illustrative example. The optimization results show that the maximum energy saving in ITCDIC process is about 35% and the maximum operating cost saving in ITCDIC process is about 30%,as compared with a conventional distillation column(CDIC) under the minimum reflux ratio operating; the optimal operating pressure of the rectifying section is found to be around 0.25 MPa; the effects of the feed composition,operating pressure and the heat transfer rate on operation are also found and analyzed. It is revealed that ITCDIC process possesses high energy saving potential and promising economical prospect.     

Control of Ideal Heat Integrated Distillation Columns

The operation of an ideal heat integrated dlstillation columan (HIDiC) is addressed .Five Kinds of control configurations, i.e. single-loop control, multi-loop control, multivariable internal model control (IMC), modified multlvariable internal model control (MIMC) and nonlinear process model-based control (NPMC), are designed and applied to the process. Simulation results demonstrate that all of the above control confaguratloam ere valid for product quality control. NPMC control configuration is found to be the best one among all the alternatives. It can readily realize setpoint transitions and conduct effectively against external disturbance. MIMC control configuration ranks second in the row for its regulatory responses to feed composition disturbances with relatively extended setting time, Next comes from the multi-loop control configuration, which is moee or lees handicapped by its greater deviations and overshootings. IMC control configuration can not compete with the multi-loop control configuration because it is extremely sensitive to operating condition changes. Single-ioop control configuration is the worst one among all the mentioned control configurations. Its responses for the uncoutrolled end products are extremely sluggish.     

基于内模控制的内部热耦合精馏策略

精馏过程约占工业总能耗的1/3,其节能控制潜力很大。内部热耦合精馏(ITCDIC)是迄今为止所提出的节能效果最好(比常规精馏节能40%以上)却没有商业化的节能技术。主要原因在于该过程具有较强的非线性、复杂的动态特性以及耦合性,给控制方案的设计带来了极大的困难。通过建立更为精确的二阶内部模型,提出了一种有效的ITCDIC内模控制方案。实例研究结果表明,与传统控制方案PID相比,控制品质更加稳定可靠;同时,与目前国际上公开报道的最好结果相比,该控制方案有更广泛的操作域,鲁棒性更强。     

基于内部热耦合精馏塔非线性wave模型的高纯控制

首先建立内部热耦合精馏塔（ITCDIC）的非线性波动降阶模型,并将非线性波动理论（wave）应用到ITCDIC控制问题中,实现一般模型控制（GMC）方案.与传统控制方案相比,基于波动理论的一般模型控制（waveGMC）不再采用ITCDIC的近似线性模型,更好地解决了高纯控制过程中的非线性问题,通过对波形的速度和位置控制能够在短时间内使系统达到稳定.苯-甲苯物系的实例研究表明,ITCDIC波动模型在高纯控制过程中能够精确反映ITCDIC的动态特征,waveGMC控制方案较传统控制方案更加稳定可靠.     

ON THE DESIGN OF ROBUST CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR DISTILLATION COLUMNS

The distillation column dynamics is very nonlinear, especially at high purity. Multivariable control system designs, which are essentially linear, may not be able to perform well at different operating conditions. This paper looks at three different multivariable design techniques—decoupling control, optimal state feedback and pole assignment as applied to distillation column control. Robustness of these techniques are analyzed by looking at the performance of these controllers at different operating conditions. Some interesting results are obtained.     

内部热耦合空分塔的节能优化分析

内部热耦合精馏是迄今为止所提出的节能效果最好,而唯一没有商业化的节能技术。将内部热耦合技术用于空分塔,可以带来良好的节能效果。根据低温空气分离过程以及三组分精馏的特点,提出了一种新的内部热耦合空分精馏塔优化模型。在优化模型基础上,对热耦合塔进行了深入的节能优化与分析,并且与常规空分仿真结果进行了比较分析,压缩机能耗下降20.75%,产值增加17.46%,单位产值能耗下降32.53%。内部热耦合空分塔的提取率以及能耗均优于常规热耦合空分塔,节能效果显著。     

Modeling,Control, and Optimization of Ideal Internal Thermally Coupled Distillation Columns

Internal Thermally Coupled Distillation Columns (ITCDIC) are the frontier of energy saving distillation research. In this paper, the ideal ITCDIC is considered. A novel mathematical model and a related simulation algorithm are proposed. The dynamic responses of open‐loop, PID controllers and the responses of closed‐loops are carried out. The results show that the ITCDIC is a self‐balance process and could be operated smoothly with two PID controllers; the steady‐state optimization met the need of ITCDIC optimization. Furthermore, a steady‐state optimization model of the operation parameters is presented, which can be used to directly obtain the optimal operation parameters simultaneously guaranteeing not only the product quality and the maximum energy savings but also the dynamic operability and controllability. The benzene‐toluene system is studied as an illustrative example.     

Nonlinear wave modeling and dynamic analysis of internal thermally coupled distillation columns

Internal thermally coupled distillation column (ITCDIC) is a frontier in the energy saving distillation research. It is well known for the complex dynamics, which challenge the establishment of an excellent reduced model for further control strategy design greatly. In this article, a physical approach of the ITCDIC process based on nonlinear wave theory is explored, where it is first discovered that traditional wave theory in conventional distillation columns (CDIC) could not be directly applied in ITCDIC, due to: First, the internal thermal coupling results in mole flow rates varying evidently over each stage, which not only makes the wave modeling of the wave phenomenon in ITCDIC more difficult but also makes wave dynamics greatly different between ITCDIC and CDIC; Second, an interesting wave phenomenon of ITCDIC is discovered that waves located in the rectifying section and stripping section travel under opposite tendencies when the steady state is disturbed by the step change of thermal condition q, one sharpens and the other is likely to spread synchronously, it means the movement of wave profiles in ITCDIC could not be simply described by shock wave velocity, which is usually used in wave modeling of CDIC; more seriously, shapes of the self‐sharpening wave profiles in ITCDIC change obviously during the traveling processes, which further reveals that shape influence on wave velocity has to be considered in the wave modeling of ITCDIC. A rigorous wave velocity and a natural wave velocity are derived, respectively, based on which, the detailed analyses of traveling wave characteristics are carried out. A novel wave velocity, based on the profile trial function which has been well developed by Marquardt, is further derived to consider the obvious change of profile shape. And a completed nonlinear wave model of ITCDIC is thereby established by combining the proposed wave velocity with thermal coupling relations and material balance relations. The benzene‐toluene system is illustrated as an example, where component concentration prediction and distinct dynamic characteristics are carried out in detail based on the proposed nonlinear wave models. The research results reveal the accuracy and validity of the proposed nonlinear wave model of ITCDIC. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Advantage of Low‐Cost Predictive Control: Study Case on a Train of Distillation Columns

The process of enriching the ¹³C isotope, performed in trains of cryogenic distillation columns, exhibits large settling times, nonlinearities, large dead‐times, and are difficult to model precisely. Such equipment has been developed in Romania, with concentration increasing up to 70 %. A control analysis for a single unit has already been done including a decentralized multivariable PI controller and two decoupling control algorithms based on the internal model control (IMC) approach. Here, a multivariable predictive controller, the extended prediction self‐adaptive controller is proposed. The simulation results, considering significant modeling errors, demonstrate that this represents a more suitable choice than the previously designed strategies. Comparisons are included to support this idea.     

Optimization‐Based Nonlinear Centralized Controller Tuning of Liquid‐Liquid Extraction Processes

Abstract

The control problem of an agitated contactor is considered in this work. A Scheibel extraction column is modeled using the non‐equilibrium backflow mixing cell model. Model dynamic analysis shows that this process is highly nonlinear, thus the control problem solution of such a system needs to tackle the process nonlinearity efficiently. The control problem of this process is solved by developing a multivariable nonlinear control system implemented in MATLAB?. In this control methodology, a new controller tuning method is adopted, in which the time‐domain control parameter‐tuning problem is solved as a constrained optimization problem. A MIMO (multi‐input multi‐output) PI controller structure is used in this strategy. The centralized controller uses a 2×2 transfer function and accounts for loops interaction. The controller parameters are tuned using an optimization‐based algorithm with constraints imposed on the process variables reference trajectories. Incremental tuning procedure is performed until the extractor output variables transient response satisfies a preset uncertainty which bounds around the reference trajectory. A decentralized model‐based IMC (internal model control) control strategy is compared with the newly developed centralized MIMO PI control one. Stability and robustness tests are applied to the two algorithms. The performance of the MIMO PI controller is found to be superior to that of the conventional IMC controller in terms of stability, robustness, loops interaction handling, and step‐change tracking characteristics.     

Optimization and control of a reactive and extractive distillation process for the synthesis of isopropyl acetate

A conventional reactive distillation column will not be able to produce high purity isopropyl acetate (IPAc) due to the existence of a minimum boiling azeotrope in the system. In this work, a novel reactive and extractive distillation (RED) process was proposed and used for the synthesis of IPAc. Results showed that the purity of IPAc reached 99.5%. Then, the RED flowsheet was optimized with minimum total annual cost (TAC), and a number of key variables were determined with the assistance of program written in Visual Basic 6.0 (VB). After that, two control structures of the RED process were developed: a basic control structure with temperature/proportional cascade control and an improved control structure with composition/temperature cascade control. The integral of squared error (ISE) was introduced to evaluate the performance of control systems, it revealed that the improved control structure had better controllability.     

基于IMC结构的PID-GPC的鲁棒性分析

Proportion integral differential generalized predictive control(PID-GPC),a new type of generalized predictive control(GPC) is introduced,and its quality is analyzed with internal model contron(IMC).A very important characteristic,which distinguishes GPC from ordinary IMC,and the robust effect are found.At the same time,a robust region is obtained according to the control laws,so that the defect that the robust analysis could be carried out only with stable models is vercome.It is verified that the robustness of PID-GPC is stronger than general GPC.     

Control System Design for a Single Feed ETBE Reactive Distillation Column

Reactive distillation (RD) is advantageous for the Ethyl Tert‐Butyl Ether (ETBE) synthesis. The steady state model of an ETBE reactive distillation column created using the simulator HYSYS is analyzed to synthesize effective control structures. Since the column exhibits input multiplicity with the dual process objectives of ETBE RD (isobutene conversion and ETBE purity), inferential variables are selected. A control structure that organizes a sensitive tray temperature in the stripping section using the reboiler duty and maintains the temperature difference of reactive trays using the reflux flow, is found to be most suitable. A decentralized PI controller and constrained Model Predictive Controller (MPC) are implemented, and performances are compared for set point tracking and disturbance rejection. MPC control algorithms are implemented in MATLAB and interfaced with HYSYS. Constrained MPC (CMPC) is found to be effective for load disturbance rejection, which frequently occurs in the single feed configuration.     

内部热耦合精馏塔的初步设计(I) 模型化和操作分析

引　言将热量从精馏段传到提馏段来实现节能是精馏过程节能的一种有效方法 ,即二次回流和蒸发[1](ＳＲＶ) .内部热耦合精馏塔 (ＩＴＣＤＩＣ)的热耦合机理仍是ＳＲＶ方法 ,但去掉了再沸器和冷凝器 ,具有较大的节能潜力 .它的研究只有近 1 0年的历史[2 ,3],目前 ,还没有见到详细的操作分析和设计优化的文献报道 ,只有一些较为相关的文献[4 ,5 ].本文对理想热耦合精馏塔进行了建模和操作分析 .1　模型化图 1是ＩＴＣＤＩＣ的示意图 .精馏段和提馏段被分为两个塔 .热耦合通过两段之间的热交换器来实现 .为了提供传热必须的推动力 ,精馏段将在较…     

Model based control of a high purity distillation column

In this paper, the problem of dual product composition control of an industrial high purity distillation column, a deisohexanizer (DIH), is addressed using a Generic Model Control framework. A dynamic simulation of the DIH was performed for preliminary studies of the performance of different controller strategies/algorithms. The performance of Generic Model Control incorporating different process models was studied. Process models are presented ranging from simple first order approximations to mechanistic short cut distillation models where a tradeoff between model complexity and model adaptivity is investigated. The different controllers were implemented and compared using a dynamic simulation of an industrial deisohexanizer (DIH) to select the best condidate controller. A controller using a nonlinear process model emerged as the best controller and was implemented on the actual process, resulting in improved performance over the original controller. Simulation results and industrial plant data are presented.