COMBINING CONCEPTUAL AND REFERENTIAL REACTION METHODS FOR BATCH DISTILLATION CONTROL

The referential reaction empirically determines reduced-order models for designing and tuning feedback controllers dedicated to tracking non-stationary conditions in batch processes. Defining a feedback control system for a batch distillation implies first the selection of an appropriate tray temperature evolution. Then, the dynamics associated to the manipulated variable (distillate flow rate) is isolated from the main time-variable behavior desired for the operation, and used with available tuning rules for integrating systems. The effectiveness of this procedure is illustrated by implementing a feasible quasi-optimal recipe derived from pinch theory and valid for multicomponent mixtures.