Aspects of traditional and advanced control of the fluid catalytic cracking unit

Journal article

Authors/Editors

Agachi, Paul

Research Areas

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Frascati classification)

Publication Details

Subtitle: Aspects of traditional and advanced control of the fluid catalytic cracking unit

Author list: Agachi, Paul

Publisher: Cartimex

Publication year: 2002

Volume number: 5

Issue number: 1

Start page: 1127

End page: 1132

Number of pages: 6

ISSN: 0035-3930

Languages: English-United States (EN-US)

Abstract

The Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) presents complex dynamic behavior due to the strong interactions between its variables. The objective of the control system is to maximize the feed throughput while maintaining the severity variables as close as possible to their constrained limits, where usually the optimum lies. Safe operating conditions have also to be fulfilled in order to avoid strong offsets and preserve the security of the unit. Based on a novel dynamic mathematical model of the FCCU, different configurations of the control system have been investigated. Both the traditional decentralized PID control and the advanced Model Predictive Control have been studied in the attempt of pointing out the benefits and drawbacks of these approaches. Specific tools, such as relative gain array, were used in order to investigate the inherent controllability properties of different control structures, Simulation results point out useful information for control system design and industrial implementation.

Keywords

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