Chemical Engineering Communications, Vol.191, No.1, 87-104, 2004
A case study for control structure selection: Chlorination stage in the bleaching process of a pulp and paper plant
The minimization of chlorinated organic compounds in the effluents of the chlorination unit of a pulp mill is proposed by the use of a control structure for the chlorination unit. Bleached pulp properties are related to the unbleached pulp properties: lignin content, brightness, and viscosity, as well as the amount of chlorinated organics in the bleachery effluent. The best feasible control pairings are studied by RGA and SVD methods. Kappa number of the bleached pulp (a measure of lignin content) and percent consistency of the pulp to be bleached; residual chlorine (which affects the amount of chlorinated organics discharged) and percent chlorine/pulp ratio adapted in the chlorination stage; and exit pulp viscosity (which directly affects strength and tear resistance of the paper) and residence time in the chlorinator are chosen to be the best pairings.