Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.52, No.16, 5735-5746, 2013
Real-Time Optimization of an Industrial-Scale Vapor Recompression Distillation Process. Model Validation and Analysis
The modeling, analysis, and simulation validation of an industrial-scale depropenizer column (Refinaria de Capuava, Maui, Sao Paulo) owned by Petrobras SA. are carried out using equation-oriented and sequential modular approaches. The model implemented in the equation-oriented environment proved to be suitable for real-time optimization (RTO) applications due to its robustness, fast convergence, and ability to represent the real process. The analysis of the model allows better understanding of the process and establishment of boundaries to process specifications and the parameters updated in the RTO cycle; furthermore, it is shown that feed composition and column pressure drop are critical aspects in the model to represent the actual process.