Distillation: Dual Composition Control & Constraint Control By Jim Riggs1

In the first article of this series, Jim discussed control relevant issues associated with distillation colu

article presented the major disturbances affecting composition control and the importance of proper control and explored single composition control strategies.

regulatory controls. Thethird article discussed the use of product composition measurements in disti

This final segment of the series considers advanced issues including dual composition control and co Dual Composition Control

The choice of the proper configuration for dual composition control is a more challenging problem th

composition control because there are more viable approaches and the analysis of performance is m

There is a variety of choices for the manipulated variables, or MVs, including L, D, L/D, V, B, V/B, B/L, of possible configuration choices although most of them are not practical.

be paired to the four control objectives (x, y, reboiler level and accumulator level). As a result, there a

It is assumed that the choice for the control configuration for the column pressure (Figures 3-7) is mad the selection of the composition control configuration. If we limit our choices to L, D and L/D for controlling y and V, B and V/B for controlling x, there are configuration, the first term is the MV used to control y and the second term is used to control x.

configurations to consider: (L,V), (D,V), (L/D,V), (L,B), (D,B), (L/D,B), (L,V/B), (D,V/B) and (L/D,V/

Figure 10 shows the (L,V) configuration. The set point for the reflux flow controller is set by the ove leaves D to control the accumulator level and B to control the reboiler level.

controller and the set point for the flow controller on the reboiler duty is set by the bottom compositi

Figure 11 shows the (D,B) configuration where D is adjusted to control y and B is changed to contro for the accumulator level and V for the reboiler level.

Consider the classifications of these nine control configurations. The five configurations that use either for the column to adjust product compositions. In fact, the (D,B) configuration has been referred to as balance configuration.

composition control are referred to as material balance configurations because they use the overal

The four configurations that do not use D or B as MVs are known as energy balance configurations bec ratio configuration.

adjust the vapor/liquid traffic in the column for composition control. The (L/D,V/B) configuration is kno

The major factors affecting the composition control performance of a particular configuration are coup

disturbances and the response time for changes in the MV. The most commonly used configuration i the easiest to implement, even though it is highly susceptible to coupling.

configuration because it provides good dynamic response, is the least sensitive to feed composition d

On the other hand, the (L/D,V/B) configuration is, in general, the least affected by coupling and has response, but is quite sensitive to feed composition disturbances and is more difficult to implement. i.e., non-self-regulating.

configuration has advantages for certain high-purity columns if the levels are tuned tightly, but is op

As a result, there is no clear choice for the best configuration for dual composition control of distillation performance. While it is not possible to a priori choose the optimum configuration, there are some guidelines that

there are specific cases for which each of the nine potential configurations listed earlier provides the

possibility of choosing a poor configuration for a particular column. In general, for high reflux ratio c cases (L/D < 5), configurations that use energy balance MVs (L and V) or ratios are preferred. In many cases, the control of one of the two products is more important than control of the other. For the overhead product is more important, L is usually the best MV. When the bottoms product is more proper MV. If the column is a high reflux ratio column, the MV for the less important product should be knob (D or B) or a ratio (L/D or V/B).

configurations that use material balance MVs (D and B) or ratios (L/D and V/B) are preferred while f

Because a C3 splitter is a high reflux ratio column and control of the overhead product is more impo

(L,V/B) configuration is preferred, which is consistent with simulation studies that have been perform

is a low reflux ratio column, the less important product should be controlled by an energy balance knob configuration is preferred.

(L/D or V/B). For example, for a low reflux column for which the bottom product is more important, th

Table 2 (click for large view) summarizes the recommended control configurations for columns in wh more important than the other.

Composition Controller Tuning

For most distillation columns, the effective dead-time-to-time constant ratio is relatively small. Ther

action is not necessary and PI composition controllers are commonly used. When inferential temperatu

fast-acting temperature loops with significant sensor lag may require derivative action because of th ATV identification with on-line tuning is recommended.

time-to-time constant ratios. Because most composition and temperature control loops are relatively

When one product is more important than the other, it is best to first tune the less important loop lo

aggressively tuned, e.g., critically damped) and then tune the important loop to control to set point t

decay ratio). This dynamically decouples the multivariable control problem by providing relatively fa

dynamics for the important loop and considerably slower closed-loop dynamics for the less importan

In this manner, the coupling effects of the less important loop are slow enough that the important loop this approach approximates the performance of single composition control without allowing the less composition to suffer large offsets from set point.

them. As a result, the variability in the important loop can be maintained consistently at a relatively lo

When the importance of the control of both products is approximately equal, both loops need to be t

this case, both loops must be detuned equally to the point where the effects of coupling are at an ac Constraint Control Some of the most common column constraints include: Maximum reboiler duty This constraint can result from (1) an increase in the column pressure that reduces the temperature

transfer in the reboiler; (2) fouled or plugged heat-exchanger tubes in the reboiler that reduce the m

transfer-rate; (3) an improperly sized steam trap that causes condensate to back up into the reboile increase in the column feed rate such that the required reboiler duty exceeds the maximum duty of Maximum condenser duty for heat transfer; (2) fouled or plugged tubes in the condenser that reduce its maximum heat duty; the required condenser duty exceeds the maximum duty of the condenser. Flooding traffic in the column. Weeping

improperly sized control valve on the steam to the reboiler that limits the maximum steam flow to the

This constraint can be due to (1) an increase in the ambient air temperature that decreases the temp

sized coolant flow control valve; (4) an increase in coolant temperature; or (5) an increase in column f

Kister discusses in detail the three types of flooding, showing that each type results from excessive lev

Weeping results when the vapor flow rate is too low to keep the liquid from draining through a tray on Maximum reboiler temperature For certain systems, elevated temperatures in the reboiler can promote polymerization reactions to excessive fouling of the reboiler results. A reboiler duty constraint can be identified when the steam

remains fully open and the requested steam flow is consistently above the measured flow rate.

Condenser duty constraints are usually identified when the column pressure reaches a certain level o

temperature rises to a certain value. The onset of flooding or weeping is generally correlated to the pre each of these constraints, i.e., prevent the process from violating the constraints. Three approaches can be used for constraint control of a distillation column: 1. Convert from dual composition control to single composition control. 2. Reduce the column feed rate to maintain the purity of the products. 3. Reduce the product impurity setpoints for both products.

the column or across a portion of the column. It should be emphasized that it is the reboiler duty that is

Figure 12 shows how a low select can be used to switch between constraint control and unconstraine

maximum reboiler temperature constraint when the overhead is the more important product. When th configuration choices.

is more important, the combined constrained and unconstrained configuration is more complicated, w

Figure 13 shows a control configuration for observing the maximum reboiler temperature constraint

product is more important. Note that in this case, the reflux flow rate is used to maintain the bottom pr control loop acts relatively quickly while the bottoms composition loop is slower acting because reflux MV.

while the reboiler duty is used to maintain the reboiler temperature. In this configuration, the reboil

Multivariable Control

The advantage of model predictive control (MPC) applied to distillation columns is greatest when MP system of columns against the operative constraints to maximize the throughput for the system.

series of columns, e.g., an entire separation train. This results because the MPC controller can efficie

For a typical industrial separation train, there is a large complex set of constraints that limit the ove

throughput. As a result, there is a large number of combinations of operative constraints that must b this problem require a separate control configuration for each combination of operative constraints, excessively large number of separate control configurations. On the other hand, an MPC controller can directly handle the full range of combinations of operative

controller is to maximize the throughput for the full range of operation. Advanced PID constraint con

single MPC controller. In addition, the MPC controller is much easier to maintain than a custom-built

controller for such a complex system. MPC can provide significant control improvements over PID co to large-scale processes. Keys to Effective Distillation Control For effective distillation control, it is imperative to take care of the basics first. 1. Ensure that the regulatory controls are functioning properly. 2. Evaluate the analyzer dead time, reliability and accuracy. are correctly located. Also, ensure that pressure-corrected tray temperatures are used. 4. Use internal reflux controls for changes in reflux temperature.

column in most cases, but these improvements pale in comparison to the economic advantages offere

3. Check that RTDs or thermistors are being used to measure tray temperatures for composition infere

5. When L, D, V and B are used as MVs for composition control, ratio them to the measured feed rate rate changes are a common disturbance.

For configuration selection, use the (L,V) configuration for single composition control. For dual compo

an energy balance configuration for low reflux ratio cases and use material balance or ratio configurati

ratio columns. For many dual composition control cases, the control of one product is much more im it is produced in the bottoms.

other. For such cases, you should use L as the MV when the important product is produced in the ove

Additionally, the less important product should be controlled using an energy balance knob (L or V ) o important loop tightly and tune the less important loop much less aggressively.

or V/B) for low reflux cases or D, L/D, B or V/B for high reflux columns. For these cases, it is import

Finally, override and select control should be applied to ensure that all column constraints are satisf become operative. Return to the Table of Contents to learn more. _______

1. This material is reprinted from Chemical Process Control, 2nd Ed. with the permission of the publi Publishing (806 747 3872). About the Author

Jim Riggs is a professor of chemical engineering at Texas Tech University, where he has been since 19

as an industrial consultant and presented a number of industrial short courses on various topics rela Control Consortium in 1992. Jim Riggs Department of Chemical Engineering Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas 79410 Email: jim.riggs@ttu.edu
Copyright 2006 by Douglas J. Cooper. All Rights Reserved.

control. He is the author of several popular chemical engineering textbooks and co-founded the Texa