Advanced process control improves refinery, chemical plant operations

摘要

To survive challenging conditions, process industry firms, including in refineries and petro-chemical plants, are actively seek-ing opportunities to optimize their entire supply chain. The economics of national operating companies are vastly different from international downstream organizations. Yet all are seeking ways to increase production margins, improve safety performance and maximize equipment and plant reliability. Feedstocks and energy are the major costs items, so downstream companies must view the entire supply chain to optimize feedstock usage while shopping for the best value without compromising quality. Likewise, downstream companies strive to lower energy consumption and minimize waste, such as octane giveaway in transportation fuels. One option downstream companies are pursuing to improve their competitive position is implementing automation/optimization projects, with advanced process control (APC) being a critical component of these efforts.