Fundamentals of

Distillation Column Control

by Terry Tolliver
Standards
Certification
Education & Training
Publishing
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ISA Automation Week 2011

PRESENTER Terry Tolliver

Terry is a retired Senior Fellow from Solutia/Monsanto and presently

provides contract engineering at ConocoPhillips Wood River refinery.
He has 40+ years of experience in process control, simulation,
operations, troubleshooting and optimization.
Terry graduated from the Missouri University of Science and
Technology with BS, MS & PhD ChE and was recently inducted into
their Academy of Chemical Engineers in 2009. He was inducted into
the CONTROL Automation Hall of Fame in 2002.
He has received several ISA awards including the Distinguished Society
Service Award in 1997, the E. G. Baily Award in 1993 and the
Excellence in Documentation award in 1987.
Terry has been an adjunct professor for Washington University from
2004-2008, a Lehigh University Biannual Lecturer from 1974-1986, an
ISA Fellow in 1990, an AIChE Fellow in 2000 and a PE since 1974.

DISTILLATION CONTROL TOPICS

Levels of control
Classification and pairing of variables
Control objectives and constraints
Dynamic responses
Material and energy balances
Separation
Pressure control
Material balance control
Temperature control
References
3

DISTILLATION CONTROL

BASIC
Inventory Control
Composition Control

SUBOPTIMIZING
Feedforward Control
Two Point Composition Control

OPTIMIZING
Floating Pressure
Maximum Profit

CLASSIFICATION and PAIRING of VARIABLES

CONTROLLED
VARIABLES
distillate composition
bottom composition
accumulator level
sump level
column pressure

P
La

Y
X
La
Ls
P

Ls

CLASSIFICATION and PAIRING of VARIABLES

MANIPULATED
VARIABLES
distillate flow
bottom flow
reflux flow
reboiler duty
condenser duty

Qc
D
B
R
Qr
Qc

Qr

B
6

CLASSIFICATION and PAIRING of VARIABLES

DISTURBANCE
VARIABLES
feed flow
feed composition
feed temperature
reboiler heat supply
condenser cooling
supply and weather

W
F
Z
q
S

F
Z
q

CLASSIFICATION and PAIRING of VARIABLES

CONTROLLED
VARIABLES

MANIPULATED
VARIABLES

DISTURBANCE
VARIABLES

distillate composition
bottom composition
accumulator level
sump level
column pressure

distillate flow
bottom flow
reflux flow
reboiler duty
condenser duty

feed flow
feed composition
feed temperature
reboiler heat supply
condenser cooling
supply and weather

CONTROL OBJECTIVES

Total Operating Cost

$/F

Cost of Energy

Cost of Product Lost

RECOVERY

COLUMN CONSTRAINTS

Reboiler
Flood

Boilup rate

Condenser

Weep
Vessel Limit

Column Pressure

10

COLUMN INTERNALS

TRAYS

SIEVE TRAYS
VALVE TRAYS
BUBBLE CAP TRAYS
DUAL FLOW TRAYS

PACKING
RANDOM PACKING
STRUCTURED PACKING
LIQUID & VAPOR DISTRIBUTORS

11

COLUMN DYNAMICS

RELATIVE RESPONSE TIMES

VAPOR
- FAST
LIQUID
- MEDIUM
COMPOSITION - SLOW
Response

time

12

MATERIAL & ENERGY BALANCES

MATERIAL BALANCE
F = D+ B
zF = yD + xB

D/F = (z-x)/(y-x)

ENERGY BALANCE
hF + Qreb = hD + hB + Qcond

13

SEPARATION

TOTAL REFLUX
n = [y(1-x)]/[x(1-y)]

NORMAL OPERATION
S =

f (, N, N , V/F, z, E)
F

14

MATERIAL BALANCE and SEPARATION EFFECTS

1.0

Light Key Mole Fraction

Increasing S

X
Increasing S

D/F

1.0
15

MATERIAL BALANCE CONTROL

FC

FC

FC

LC

TC

FC
LC
FC

16

SEPARATION CONTROL

FC

FC

TC

FC

LC

NOT
RECOMMENDED

FC
LC
FC

17

PRESSURE CONTROL

VENT

PI
FC

LC

FC

18

CONDENSER DUTY

Tp
Qcond = UA(Tp-Tc)
COOLANT

Tc

VENT

CONDENSATE
19

BLOCK & BLEED PRESSURE CONTROL

BLEED VALVE

INERTS

VACUUM SOURCE
BLOCK VALVE

PC
FC

LC

FC

20

MATERIAL BALANCE CONTROL - TYPE 1

FC

FC

FC

LC

TC

FC
LC
FC

21

MATERIAL BALANCE CONTROL - TYPE 2

FC

FC

LC

FC

TC

FC
LC
FC

22

MATERIAL BALANCE CONTROL - TYPE 3

FC

FC

LC

FC

TC

FC
LC
FC

23

MATERIAL BALANCE CONTROL - TYPE 4

FC

FC

LC

FC

TC

response

FC
LC
FC

time

24

PROCESS SIMULATION

STEADY STATE
PARAMETRIC CASES
CONTROL STAGE LOCATION
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

DYNAMIC
STUDY CONTROL RESPONSE
STARTUP AND SHUTDOWN

25

CONTROL STAGE LOCATION

Benzene-Toluene Column Temperature Profiles

18
17
16
15
14
13
12

Stage Number

11
10

+1%D/F

9
8
7
6
5

-1%D/F

4
3
2
1
0
70.0

75.0

80.0

85.0

90.0

95.0

100.0

105.0

110.0

115.0

120.0

Tem perature, DegC

26

TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY

COMPOSITION, wt%

DISTILLATE PRODUCT

BOTTOM PRODUCT

CONTROL STAGE TEMPERATURE, degF

27

DISTURBANCE ANALYSIS

Benzene-Toluene Column Load Effects

17
16
15
14
13
12
11
Tray Number

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-5.0

-4.0

-3.0

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

Delta Tem perature, DegC

28

REFERENCES

29

REFERENCES

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