Advanced Process Control:

Nice to have or vital to have?

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Dr. Ir. Goran Golo

Projects & Technology

Copyright of Projects & Technology

March 17th 2011

Overview
Some definitions
Why do we use APC?
How does APC produce benefits?
Sustainability of APC applications
APC nice to have?
Key Performance Factor for Processing Profitability
Which specific factor(s) lead to an increased reliability?
Improved utilization of APC improve reliability
Is APC vital reliability technology?

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March 17th 2011

Definitions
Advanced Process Control (APC): In control theory APC is a broad
term composed of different kinds of process control tools and
methodologies, often used for solving multivariable control problems
or discrete control problem. Advanced control describes a practice
which draws elements from many disciplines ranging from control
engineering, signal processing, statistics, decision theory and artificial
intelligence. The tools from which APC is composed are:

Model

Predictive Control (MPC)

Statistical

Process Control (SPC)

Run2Run

(R2R)

Fault

Detection and Classification (FDC)

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March 17th 2011

Definitions
Model Predictive Control (MPC)

Use of an explicit process model to predict the future response

Calculate optimal sequence of manipulated variables at each control interval

The first input in the optimal sequence is implemented

Entire calculation is repeated at subsequent control intervals

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March 17th 2011

Why do we use APC?

Traditionally, the key benefits from the use of advanced process
control is improved bottom line returns

Efficiency

gains (yield increase, throughput increase, reduction in

energy an raw material per unit of product)

Quality

gains (consistent product quality with minimum production

costs)

Agility

gains (manufacturing flexibility, customer responsiveness,

need to reduce working capital by processing to order not to stock)

University of Sydney Warren Centres study demonstrated that

introducing APC system could potentially provide bottom line benefits
in the range of two to six percent of operating costs.

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March 17th 2011

How does APC produce benefits?

APC produce benefits by reducing the variability of the controlled
variables.

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March 17th 2011

How does APC produce benefits?

Another source of benefits is achieved during the implementation of
APC application.

A

systematic check of instrumentation and analyzers and resolution

of bad actors.

During testing phase, key process parameters are moved from

nominal values that might lead to more beneficial operating
conditions.

Synchronize

work of shifts.

These benefits might be several times bigger than those obtained

through reduction of controlled variables variability.

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March 17th 2011

Sustainability of APC applications

Related to knowledge and skills of people involved in the maintenance

of APC applications.

On-line factor, the percent of time that the system is operational and
performing its intended job, is a KPI

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March 17th 2011

APC is nice to have?

Advantages:

Improved

Reduced

High

bottom line returns

operator intervention

VIR (much bigger than 3)

Normally

there is no need for additional hardware

Disadvantages:

Need

highly specialized personnel

Traditionally APC is not consider as something vital for processing

profitability but rather nice to have.

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March 17th 2011

Key Performance Factor for Processing Profitability

Reliability

is the KPI of a processing facility

Improvement

in reliability results in

Increase of personnel productivity,

Decrease in energy consumption

Decrease in maintenance costs

Improvement in overall profitability.

Reliability is a magic controlled variable, which if controlled at a

set-point ensures that system somehow optimize itself.

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March 17th 2011

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Which specific factor(s) lead to an increased reliability?

Maintenance strategy

preventive maintenance

root-cause failure analysis

optimized inspection frequencies,

more

disciplined planning

better spare part management etc.

A study conducted by Solomon on 100 olefin plants worldwide

shows that plants with more advanced process have higher
reliability (two-percent in average)

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Olefin Plant Reliability by George S. Birchfield

March 17th 2011

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Improved utilization of APC improve reliability?

The reasons why APC improves reliability are:
1.

APC application honors all constraints

2.

More stable operations result in less upsets

3.

Constraints are set based on reliability and safety constraints

Reduce sudden changes in operating point due to predictive nature of the

algorithm

Information about plant model is coded into APC application

The difference between the prediction and measurement brings a lot

additional information (change in operating point, degradation in equipment
and instrumentation etc)

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March 17th 2011

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Improved utilization of APC improve reliability?

With dew-point
constraint

Corrosion

Lost benefits

Without dew-point
constraint

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March 17th 2011

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Is APC vital reliability technology?

APC

Processing profitability
Reliability

KPI

Equipment
family

APC up-time

Control

Instrumentation

Management

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Rotating

Fixed

Operation, control, instrumentation,

electrical, rotating, process, maintenance,
reliability, inspection

Engineering

Operation
means and
strategies

Electrical

Business strategy, knowledge

management, HR strategy

Budget

Management

March 17th 2011

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Is APC vital reliability technology?

Factor

which influence reliability are same as factor having an effect

on APC up-time.

Dynamics

associated with APC up-time (days) is much faster than

the dynamics associated with reliability (months).

From

dynamic point of view it is more easier to control APC up-time.

APC is a vital reliability technology and APC on-line up-time is a

value metrics for process.

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March 17th 2011

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Questions?

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March 17th 2011

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