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Selecting A Distillation Column Control Strategy (A Basic Guide)
Selecting A Distillation Column Control Strategy (A Basic Guide)
(a basic guide).
Dr. M.J. Willis
Department of Chemical and Process Engineering,
University of Newcastle
e-mail: mark.willis@ncl.ac.uk
Written:
Introduction
The effective operation of a binary distillation column is determined by the
control of many variables. Generally, the variables in table 1 need to be
controlled.
cv
reason
product quality
product quality
maintain inventory (ensure material balance)
maintain inventory (ensure material balance)
maintain inventory (ensure energy balance).
Equilibrium relationship is affected by changes in
pressure.
Rectifying Section
Vn, yn
Condenser
Reflux
Ln,xD
Accumulator
n
Feed
F, z F
Stripping Section
D, xD
Distillate
Ln,xn Vn-1,yn-1
m
Lm,xm Vm-1,ym-1
Boilup
VB,yB
Reboiler
Bottom Product
LB,xB
B, xB
The column feed is F (kmol/min) and the concentration of the more volatile
component in liquid is zf. The distillate flow is D (kmol /min) with overhead
product concentration xD and the bottom product flowrate is B (kmol / min) of
concentration xB.
For a binary column, the two independent overall balances are:
the total material balance:
F=D+B
(1)
(2)
(3)
The equations (3) define the cut, i.e what percentage of the total feedflow
exits the column as distillate and bottoms product for specified inlet and outlet
concentrations.
From equations (3) it is apparent that distillate (D) and bottoms flow (B) are
related to top and bottom product compositions (xD and xB) and are therefore
potential manipulated variables. As expected, changes in F and zf will also
affect xD and xB.
Around the condenser and accumulator assuming a total condenser, the
material balances are:
the material balance:
the component balance:
V n = D + Ln
Vnyn = DxD + LnxD
(4)
(5)
Lm = Vb + B
Lmxm = Vbyb + BxB
(6)
(7)
D = V - L and B = F + L - V
(8)
Equations (3) demonstrate that D and B may be used to regulated xD and xB,
based upon the relationships (equation 8) it is obvious that L and V will also
affect the product compositions.
PC
V
flare
P
L
Accumulator
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
Boilup
V
Steam in
B, xB
Condensate
F
D
L
B
V
NP1
x
U
U
x
NP4
NP2
NP3
NP5
x
NP3*
(1)
(3)
x
NP3
(2)
NP3*
NP2
x
KEY:
Flows:
NP:
U:
x:
From the matrix of 25 possible alternatives, there are actually only 3 schemes
that offer acceptable input-output combinations (from a practical viewpoint).
Scheme (I)
control level in the column base via manipulation of the bottom product
flowrate (by automatically adjusting value).
control level in the reflux drum by manipulation of distillate flowrate.
a flow controller has been placed on the reflux line (to ensure steady flow
of reflux to the column).
Configuring a control strategy: scheme 1 (the energy balance control scheme)
SP
PC
flare
P
LC
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
SP
LC
SP
FC
SP
Boilup
V
Steam in
B, xB
Condensate
SP
PC
flare
P
SP
LC
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
FC
SP
Boilup
SP
LC
SP
FC
B, xB
Condensate
SP
PC
flare
P
FC
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
SP
LC
SP
LC
SP
Boilup
V
Steam in
B, xB
Condensate
Rule of thumb 1: flow control the smallest product flow (as this
will leave a large flow stream to manipulate level).
Example 1: Suppose that there is a large bottoms flowrate (B) and a
small distillate flowrate (D).
Using this information the control strategy may be developed as follows:
flow control the distillate flow (D)
ensure that the material balance is maintained around the reflux drum.
Recall that V = D + L, for a constant V, if D changes then there must be an
equal and opposite change in L or the level in the reflux drum will either
drop or start to increase. To ensure that the level remains constant (and
that an appropriate change is made to L) a level controller is required on
the reflux drum the manipulated variable being L.
ensure that the material balance is maintained around the column base.
Recall that F = D + B so if, for a constant F, D changes then there must be
an equal and opposite change in B or the level in the base of the column
will either drop or start to increase. To ensure that the level remains
constant (and that an appropriate change is made to B) a level controller is
required with its manipulated variable being B.
This control scheme corresponds to scheme III and is one of the more popular
control schemes. It is often referred to as a material balance control
scheme.
Example 2: Suppose that there is a small bottoms flowrate (B) and a
large distillate flowrate (D).
Using this information the strategy may be developed as follows:
flow control the bottoms flow (B).
ensure that the material balance is maintained around the column, F = D +
B. For constant F, if B changes there must be an equal and opposite
change in D or liquid inventory will change (e.g. level may rise in the reflux
Composition control
On-line analysers are rarely used as the installed cost will normally be in the
range of 100 K per instrument. Therefore composition is often regulated
indirectly using temperature (at constant pressure there is a direct relationship
between temperature and composition for a binary mixture). Using a liquid
temperature near the base of the column for bottom composition and a liquid
temperature near the top of the column for top product composition, the
remaining mvs (i.e. those not used for the purposes of level and pressure
control) may be used to regulate composition. This leads to the following
schemes:
Scheme (I)
top product composition (through a liquid temperature near the top of the
column) is regulated by adjusting reflux flow, L.
bottom product composition (through a liquid temperature near the bottom
of the column) is regulated by adjusting vapour flow, V (indirectly via
steam flow).
This gives rise to an alternative name for this control strategy: the LV
configuration.
Composition Control: scheme 1 (the energy balance control scheme)
SP
PC
flare
P
LC
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
FC
SP
LC
SP
SP
TC
SP
TC
SP
B, xB
Condensate
top product composition (through a liquid temperature near the top of the
column) is regulated by adjusting reflux flow, L.
bottom product composition (through a liquid temperature near the bottom
of the column) is regulated by adjusting bottoms flow, B.
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This gives rise to an alternative name for this control strategy: the LB
configuration.
Composition Control: scheme II (a material balance control scheme)
SP
V
PC
flare
P
LC
D, xD
Distillate
Feed
F, zF
SP
LC
SP
FC
SP
TC
SP FC
B, xB
Condensate
top product composition (through a liquid temperature near the top of the
column) is regulated by adjusting distillate flow, D.
bottom product composition (through a liquid temperature near the bottom
of the column) is regulated by adjusting vapour flow, V.
This gives rise to an alternative name for this control strategy: the DV
configuration.
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SP
PC
flare
P
FC
SP
D, xD
SP Distillate
Feed
F, zF
LC
SP
TC
SP
SP
LC
TC
V
B, xB
Condensate
Summary
Rules of thumb, common sense and a basic knowledge of chemical
engineering can generally be used to specify an appropriate manipulated
variables and hence the control scheme of a distillation column. However, this
basic knowledge should also be complemented by rigorous systems analysis.
To do this it is necessary to consider distillation column modelling in greater
detail.
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