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Optimal operation and tracking control of vapor‐recompressed batch distillation
Author(s) -
Vibhute Madhuri M.,
Jogwar Sujit S.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.17049
Subject(s) - control theory (sociology) , distillation , controller (irrigation) , optimal control , maximization , computer science , nonlinear system , batch distillation , process engineering , trajectory , energy (signal processing) , fractional distillation , mathematical optimization , control (management) , engineering , mathematics , chemistry , chromatography , physics , statistics , quantum mechanics , astronomy , artificial intelligence , agronomy , biology
Vapor recompressed batch distillation (VRBD) is an energy‐integrated configuration which works on the principle of a heat pump. Operation of such a column is challenging due to unsteady, nonlinear dynamics and strong interplay between separation and energy efficiency. In this paper, a two‐step approach is proposed for optimal operation and control of such a column. Initially, an openloop optimal operation policy is generated for maximization of an overall performance index using offline optimization. To this end, three performance indices are proposed to capture interplay between separation and energy efficiency. Subsequently, a model‐based output feedback controller is designed to track this optimal performance trajectory. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated using a benzene‐toluene separation case study wherein it is shown that the proposed approach helps to achieve optimal operation in the presence of operational disturbances.