Implementation of a steady-state inversely controlled process model for integrated design and control of an ETBE reactive distillation

Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 92, 5 April 2013, Pages 21–39
Implementation of a steady-state inversely controlled process model for integrated design and control of an ETBE reactive distillation
Mahdi Sharifzadeh
Centre for Process System Engineering (CPSE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
Abstract
Researchers Sharifzadeh and Thornhill have proposed a modeling approach for control structure selection using an inversely controlled process model, which benefits from significant complexity reductions. Their treatment is based on the property that the inverse solution of a process model determines the best achievable control performance. The author of this article applies that methodology for integrated design and control of an ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) reactive distillation column.
He also reformulates the simulation-optimization program using a penalty function, which results in less optimization variables and better convergence of the simulation program. While the required computational efforts remain almost at the same level of steady-state process optimization, the process and its control structure are optimized simultaneously and regulatory steady-state operability of the solution is ensured.
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