CC-03-163 Experience Using Embedded APC Tools for an Atmospheric Crude and Vacuum Column

Description:

Ergon West Virginia Inc. recently installed a new DCS on part of their Newell, WV lube oil refinery. This paper describes the application of embedded Advanced Process Control (APC) tools on the atmospheric crude and vacuum columns in the refinery. The project includes the use of two Model Predictive Controllers (MPC) to improve control of the tower tray temperature profiles and thus stabilize product quality variables. In addition, neural-net technology is used to calculate a number of the key composition variables in real-time every few seconds for operator guidance. Utilizing embedded APC technologies and limiting the size of the control problem allowed Ergon to implement the project for a fraction of a traditional APC project costs while still achieving significant reduction in variability and capturing much of the potential benefits from this technology.