Cat Cracker Seminar

August 23-24, 2016

Royal Sonesta Hotel
Houston, TX

CAT-16-4 Multivariable Control on an FCC Unit

Presented By:

Mark Spencer
Advanced Process
Control Engineer
Total Petrochemical &
Refining USA, Inc.
Port Arthur, Texas

Rahul Admuthe
Advanced Process
Control Consultant
Applied Manufacturing
Technologies
Houston, Texas

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers 1667 K Street, NW 202.457.0480 voice

Suite 700 202.457.0486 fax
Washington, DC www.afpm.org
20006
This paper has been reproduced for the author or authors as a courtesy by the American Fuel &
Petrochemical Manufacturers. Publication of this paper does not signify that the contents
necessarily reflect the opinions of the AFPM, its officers, directors, members, or staff. Requests
for authorization to quote or use the contents should be addressed directly to the author(s)
  Project overview
 Controller overview
 Project benefits
 Adapting to economics
 Controller details

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Project overview
  Started as an oil terminal in the early 1900s
 Refining operations since 1936
 245,000 barrels per day crude capacity
 Conversion capabilities
◦ FCCU
◦ Coker
◦ Reformer
 Integrated with the adjacent steam cracker
◦ Joint venture
◦ Exchange of feedstock and utilities

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  80,000 bpd FCC unit
 Implement an advanced process control (APC) system
◦ Multivariable predictive controller
◦ Quality inferentials with lab or analyzer biasing
 Previous APC implementations on this FCC
◦ 1995 was the first
◦ Multiple controller revamps since then
 In 2014 this project performed a complete ground up
replacement

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  Refinery had 2 APC engineers
 Corporate engineering provided support
 AMT provided support
◦ Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT)
◦ Pre-selected APC partner
◦ Yearly maintenance hours budgeted
◦ Preferential project contracting terms
 Project requires support from across the refinery
◦ Operators, supervisors, systems, engineering, planning

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  FCC project contract awarded to AMT
 AMT responsible for overall project
◦ Perform modeling, simulation and tuning
 Refinery APC group integrated into project
◦ Provide 1/3 coverage for step testing and commissioning
◦ Configure APC and DCS systems
 Refinery approves project milestones
◦ Controller design
◦ Models
◦ Performance

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  Pre-test (2 weeks)
 Plant test (2 weeks)
 Modeling (8 – 12 weeks)
 Configuration (2 – 4 weeks)
 Commissioning (2 weeks)
 Follow-up
 Post audit

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  AspenTech provides our APC software
◦ DMCplus – multivariable predictive control
◦ AspenIQ – inferential property predictors
◦ Web viewer – operator & engineer interface
◦ AspenWatch – historize and analyze controller
◦ Windows server 2012 based
 Honeywell DCS systems
◦ Experion – operator interface
◦ TDC-3000 – base level controls

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Controller overview
  Unit wide scope
◦ From feed drum through C3/C4 splitter
 130 controlled variables
◦ Controlled to a target
◦ Maintained within a range (hi and/or low limits)
◦ Or a combination of both
 37 manipulated variables
◦ Written out from the controller to the DCS
◦ Causes one or more controlled variables to change
 34 feed forward variables
 Also causes controlled variables to change

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  Multivariable
 Predictive
◦ Linear model based
 Constrained
 Supervisory
◦ Mostly writes to DCS setpoints
◦ Sometimes writes directly to valve

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  Optimize FCC unit operation
◦ Optimize product yields
◦ Minimize fuel gas and coke production
◦ Reduce purchased oxygen
 Depending on refinery economics
◦ Maximize feed rate
◦ Increase steam generation
 Move quickly to new planning targets
 Hold unit at multiple constraints
◦ Identify unit constraints

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  Control loops implemented in DCS
◦ HCO section temperature control
◦ Stripping steam to catalyst circulation ratio
 Inferential calculations
◦ Continuous estimate of stream qualities
 Other calculations
◦ Controlled variable calculations
◦ Instrument filters
◦ Hi/low selects

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  Provide a continuous estimate of stream qualities
 Also called quality predictors or virtual analyzers
 Uses existing process measurements
 Bias updated by lab or analyzer result

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  Lab quality predicted from
◦ Overhead temperature, pressure and reflux ratio
◦ Overhead pressure
Ptop

P
Ttop T
F

F T 95% Point

R/D

NAP95 = 1.2*Ttop - 3*Ptop-10*R/D + BIAS

deltaBIAS = Update fraction * (LAB95 - NAP95)

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  Bias updated by lab
◦ Light naphtha 95%
◦ Light naphtha RVP
◦ Heavy naphtha 95%
◦ Light cycle oil 95%
◦ Light cycle oil endpoint
 Bias updated by analyzer
◦ C2s in propylene product
◦ C4s in propylene product
◦ C3s in butylene product
◦ C5s in butylene product

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Project benefits
  2 million$/yr benefit identified in the post audit
 Additional benefits generated
◦ Difficult to determine dollar amount
 Project costs were 560 k$
 4 month payout for project

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  $2 million per year total

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  LCO production increased by 205 bpd
◦ Maximize LCO 95% distillation point
◦ At the expense of bottoms yield
 LCO 95% point increased by 4.7 °F
 Bottoms API reduced
 Other constraints can limit LCO recovery
◦ Minimum heavy cycle oil pump down
◦ LCO draw tray drying up

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  LCN production increased by 35 bpd
◦ Minimize C5 in butylene product (BB)
◦ At the expense of BB
◦ Controlled at the debutanizer
 BB C5 concentration decreased by 0.28%
 Debutanizer condenser limits recovery
◦ Cooling water temperature approach

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  PP increased by 15 bpd
◦ Maximize C2 in PP
◦ At the expense of fuel gas
◦ Controlled at stripper bottoms
 PP C2 concentration increased by 0.21%
 Stripper bottoms temperature decreased by 7 °F

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  Purchased oxygen reduced by 7 tpd
◦ Minimize flue gas O2
◦ Potentially could increase feed if oxygen limited
 O2 in flue gas decreased by 0.08%

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  Rate increased by 955 bpd
 Unit constrained by cold feed valve
◦ Only true when economic feed can be purchased
 Average valve opening increased by 3.3%
◦ Compensation for non-linear valve response used
 Wet gas scrubber permit can limit feed rate
 Other rate constraints found since the post audit
◦ Dependent on feed quality, catalyst condition, and
ambient temperature

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  Qualitative benefits were demonstrated
◦ Difficult to assign a monetary value due to variations in
feed quality, feed rate, catalyst and ambient conditions
 Intangible benefits are significant

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  Higher cat / oil ratio
◦ Improved conversion
 Higher hydrocarbon recovery from reactor stripper
◦ Improved recovery
◦ Improved capacity utilization
 Lower heavy cycle oil recycle
◦ Improved catalyst life
 Optimal feed conversion
◦ Operators use effectively to maintain “adequate” cracking
◦ Maintain bottoms gravity target
◦ Enabled by light cycle oil control

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  Planning targets are clearly implemented
◦ Planning can drive the unit closer to the optimum
◦ Operations and Planning can verify targets via website
 Constraints are consistently enforced
◦ Priority of constraints is pre-programmed
 Constraints are identified
◦ Color coded on website
◦ Available to everyone in refinery
◦ Historical database available for queries
 DMC runs every minute

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Adapting to economics
  FCC economic drivers can change quickly
 Planning group issues new targets and priorities
 Custom web view to adapt the controller to
operating instructions
◦ Set targets and limits
◦ Set priorities

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  Limits, targets, and switches are set by operators
to implement planning instructions

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  Many unit constraints can be controlled with a cut
in either feed rate or riser outlet temperature
 Rate or temperature priority can change

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  Rate priority is selected
 Minimum rise outlet temperature specified

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  Heavy naphtha / light cycle oil cutpoint
◦ Maximize heavy naphtha at the expense of light cycle oil
◦ Or maximize light cycle oil at the expense of naphtha

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  Turn steam mode on
 Set steam flow target

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Controller details
  Divide a large controller into manageable sections
 Easier to monitor controller action
 Easily turn sections on or off

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  Reactor and regenerator
 Main fractionator
 Main fractionator bottom
 Absorber and stripper
 Debutanizer
 C3/C4 splitter

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  Maximize feed rate or riser temperature as
determined by the Planning group
 Maximize catalyst circulation, gun steam and
reactor stripping steam to reduce coke and fuel
gas production
 Control flue gas O2 to minimize purchased oxygen
 Generate steam as required using cat cooler and
heavy cycle oil recycle
 Maintain differential pressures across slide valves,
reactor/regen so DCS overrides are not activated

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  HCO recycle to Riser
 Feed flow  Catalyst re-circ slide valve
 Riser temperature  Steam to cat circ ratio
 WGC suction pressure  Upper stripping steam
 Regenerator pressure  Feed nozzle (gun) steam
 Regen O2 injection
 Cat cooler lance Air
 Cat cooler slide valve

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  Feed flow target
 Riser temperature target
 Flue gas O2
 CC steam make
 Regenerator temperatures
 Fuel gas make
 Other constraints…

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  Control the heavy cat naphtha (HCN) and light
cycle oil (LCO) quality
 Maximize HCN over LCO-or-LCO over HCN
according to planning
 Maintain heavy cycle oil overflash flow and bottom
level for proper operation

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  Manipulated variables
◦ Fractionator overhead temperature
◦ Heavy naphtha product flow
◦ Light cycle oil product Flow
 Controlled variables
◦ Light naphtha 95% point inferential
◦ Heavy naphtha 95% point inferential
◦ Light cycle oil 95% point inferential
◦ Light cycle oil end point inferential
◦ Light cycle oil stripper level deviation
◦ Other constraints…

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  Manage reactor vapor heat removal to minimize
bottoms yield (maintain the “drive temperature”)
 Control the bottom slurry temperature to prevent
coke formation in the main frac
 Maximize bottoms steam production
 Minimize feed preheat to increase cat/oil ratio
 Maximize HCO section temperature to maintain
tray liquid traffic

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  Manipulated variables
◦ Heavy cycle oil (HCO) draw temperature
◦ Slurry flow to preheat
◦ Total slurry pumparound flow
◦ Slurry flows to steam generators
◦ Slurry quench flow
 Controlled variables
◦ Riser feed temperature
◦ Vapor tray temperature
◦ Other constraints…

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  Maintain high pressure receiver level
 Increase propylene product yield
◦ Maximize absorption in absorbers
◦ Minimize stripper bottoms temperature
 Maximize the off gas to cracker
◦ Maintain gas plant pressure on control

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  Stripper feed flow
 Stripper feed temperature
 Stripper reboiler bypass
 Light cycle oil pumparound output
 Primary absorber lean oil (light naphtha)
 Sponge oil flow
 Knock Out Drum pressure
 Off gas export to steam cracker

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  High pressure receiver level
 Propylene product C2s
 Off gas production
 Other constraints…

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  Control C5s in butylene product
 Control RVP of heavy naphtha
 Maximize separation in the column
◦ Increase BB recovery

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  Manipulated variables
◦ Overhead pressure
◦ Upper tray temperature
◦ Heavy cycle oil to reboiler
◦ Light cycle oil to preheater
 Controlled variables
◦ Butylene product C5s
◦ Heavy naphtha RVP
◦ Column DP
◦ Reflux flow setpoint
◦ Column temperatures
◦ Other constraints…
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  Control C4s in propylene product
 Control C3s in butylene product
 Maximize separation in column

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  Manipulated variables
◦ Overhead pressure
◦ Upper tray temperature
◦ Heavy naphtha to reboiler
 Controlled variables
◦ Propylene product C4s
◦ Butylene product C3s
◦ Column DP
◦ Reflux flow setpoint
◦ Column temperatures
◦ Other constraints…

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