Process Control: Modeling, Design, and Simulation, 2nd Edition

Module 13

Distillation Control

Distillation remains the most common method of separating chemical components from a mixture. In this module, we provide a simple example of a binary distillation column that has behavior illustrative of more complex columns. The goal is to better understand the dynamic behavior of multivariable, interacting systems.

After studying this module, the reader should be able to

• Understand the different control loops associated with distillation operation.

• Understand the importance of input “direction” when making step input changes.

• Understand how an input direction affects the magnitude and direction of the resulting output change.

• Interpret singular value decomposition (SVD) results in terms of these sensitive directions. ...