OPTIMAL CONTROL of the SIMULATED MOVING BED (SMB) CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION PROCESS

In this contribution, the open-loop optimal control (dynamic optimization) of a Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) chromatographic separation process is considered. The objective is to compute the optimal feed concentration and/or feed flow rate, over each switching period, with maximum flexibility. This problem is solved numerically using the combination of the control vector parameterization scheme with suitable state-of-the-art global nonlinear programming problem solvers. The advantages of the proposed approach are illustrated through the solution of two case studies, achieving significant improvements in the process productivity when compared to traditional feeding profiles.