Coordinated Control of Reactive Distillation Systems

In this work, ideal reactive distillation systems are used to illustrate the advantage of feed trays optimisations in control. Because the temperature and composition profiles are critical for an effective utilization of the reactive zone, the optimal feed locations are essential for improved performance. Quantitatively, a systematic procedure is proposed to find the right feed trays. Finally, the idea of optimal feed trays is extended to the operation/control of reactive distillation systems. First, steady-state analysis is carried out to find the optimal feed trays as measurable load variable varies. Then, a control structure is proposed to rearrange the feeds as the disturbance comes into the system. The results indicate that, again, substantial energy can be saved by feed rearrangement via the coordinated control structure.