MULTIVARIABLE QUALITY CONTROL OF A CRUDE OIL FRACTIONATOR

摘要

This paper describes the industrial application of a multivariable predictive controller to a typical crude oil fractionator where jet fuel and diesel fuel are the main specified products. The controller functional specification includes the main targets of the column operation, accounting for 14 controlled variables, 6 manipulated variables and 2 disturbances. The implemented algorithm is a linear DMC, that makes use of a linear programming routine specifically developed to approach the problem of bounded variables, since the system variables are assumed to be controlled by range. The controller was successfully implemented in one of the Petrobras refineries at Paulinia (Brazil) and some practical results are presented here.