CONTROL OF

DISTILLATION COLUMNS
The primary objective of distillation column
control is to maintain the specified composition
of the top and bottom products, and any side
streams; correcting for the effects of
disturbances in:

1. Feed flow-rate, composition and temperature.

2. Steam supply pressure.

3. Cooling water pressure and header

temperature.

4. Ambient conditions, which cause changes in

internal reflux
Basic Instrumentation
COLUMN VARIABLES

Controlled product compositions, column

variables temperatures, column pressure, tower
and accumulator levels.
Manipulated reflux flow, coolant flow, heating
variables medium flow, and product flows.
Load mainly feed flow rate and feed
variables composition. Others: steam header
pressure, feed enthalpy, environmental
conditions, coolant temperature.
Control DOF
- 5 control valves
- R, D, Qc, Qr, B
Controlled Variables
- three inventory (LR, LB, P)
must be controlled
- leave us with “2” DOFs
- typically DOFs
(xD, xB)
Column controls designed to make column
insensitive to these disturbances. Secondary controls
designed to eliminate the disturbances.
Feedforward controls designed to compensate for
disturbance variables

Controlled Variables

Controlled Reason
variables
composition of the xD product quality
distillate stream,
composition of the xB. product quality
bottoms stream,
liquid level in the maintain inventory (ensure
reflux drum. material balance)
liquid level at the maintain inventory (ensure
base of the column material balance)
pressure in the maintain inventory (ensure
column energy balance) Equilibrium
relationship is affected by
changes in pressure.
COLUMN CONTROL STRATEGIES

minimum number of CVs is five: Overhead

composition Bottoms composition, Accumulator
level, Bottoms level, Pressure
Manipulated Variables Reflux flow, Reboiler
heating. media flow, Condenser cooling media flow,
Distillate flow, Bottoms flow
120 possible configurations (5!)

Inventories to be controlled - reflux drum level,

level in column base or reboiler, pressure
Remaining two variables control feed split (B/F or
D/F) and fractionation (separation)

Additional manipulated variables include feed flow

and enthalpy.

pairing of controlled and manipulated variables

follow three general control structures: energy
balance control, material balance control, and ratio
control.
Material balance control uses the distillate and
bottoms product flows to control compositions, thus
fixing the overall material balance.

Energy balance control uses reflux and reboiler

heating media flow to control compositions, thus
fixing the energy inputs.

Ratio control utilizes a ratio of any two flow rates

at each end of the column. Common examples-
control of reflux-to-distillate ratio and the boil-up-
to-bottoms ratio.
Material balance control
Either product manipulated for quality with the other
under level control to close material balance.
For accuracy smaller product flow chosen
4 possible configurations
xB with D or B; xD with D or B

level control reflux drum- reflux

flowrate
level control column base- bottoms
flowrate
top product composition- distillate
flow, D.
bottom product composition- energy
input to reboiler (vapour flow, V)
control strategy: the DV
configuration.
level control in base- energy
input to the reboiler (vapour boil-
up)
level control reflux drum-
distillate flowrate.
top product composition- reflux
flow, L.
bottom product composition-
bottoms flow, B.
control strategy: the LB
configuration.
Energy balance control
level control column base-
bottom product flowrate
level control reflux drum-
distillate flowrate.
top product composition -
reflux flow
bottom product composition-
steam flow (vapour flow, V)
control strategy: the LV
configuration
Pressure control

Controlling the Cooling Water Flow

In most
towers,
the
pressure
is
controlle
d through
the heat
removal
in the
condenser.

Vent-Bleed
venting vapor
from or
injecting inert
gas into the
vapor space in
the
accumulator
Direct Pressure Control
Requires
large
valve

Flooded Condenser
Adjusts level of liquid in condenser to change
effective heat-transfer area
Hot Vapour Bypass
control valve is placed in a bypass of vapor line to
the accumulator. Column pressure rises- valve
opens- equalizes pressure between vapor line and
receiver- condensing surface becomes flooded
because of head in condensate line from condenser
back to receiver- flooding of condensing surface
causes pressure to build up Under normal operating
conditions subcooling condensate receives sufficient
to reduce vapor pressure in receiver- difference in
pressure permits the condensate to flow up.
PRODUCT QUALITY CONTROL

Composition control - slow (2-10 min measurement

delay) - expensive and unreliable

Temperature control - fast - reliable and inexpensive

- temperature is not composition

75% of all distillation columns use temperature

control to hold composition profile in the column.

How to select the best tray location for temperature

measurement?
(1) sensitivity of
temperature-
manipulated variable
pairing should be in
the range of 0.1 to
0.5°C/% and
(2) equal temperature
changes should result
when increasing and
decreasing
manipulated variable