APC

Advanced Process Control

Why Process

Control ?
 Why Process Control ?

■ Safe operation
■ To meet product specs
■ Achieve production targets
■ Optimization of inputs - Energy/ Power/ Raw Material

HOW ?
Maintain desired operating conditions, Minimize
process variance, Fight disturbances, Honor process
constraints
Elements of Process Control
 Feedback Control
SET POINT

Controller Valve
error

MANIPULATED
VARIABLE

PROCESS
CONTROLLED
VARIABLE
 Types of
Controller ?
 Types of Controller ?
■ PID Controllers
■ Feed-forward Controller
■ Model Predictive Controller
■ APC
 … Other Controllers
■ Feed-forward controller : Disturbance rejection
– Require model of Process, Disturbance

■ Traditional Advanced controller : Strategy Driven

– Inferential control, Ratio Control, Cascade Control, Gain
Schedule controller,

– Model is sometimes required

– Programming logics can be incorporated

 PID Control
SET POINT

PID Valve
error

MANIPULATED
VARIABLE

PROCESS
CONTROLLED
VARIABLE
 Limitations of PID Controller
■ Single Input - Single Output (S I S O)
■ Reactive strategy - cause & effect
■ Interactions not handled
■ Tuning difficult for process with delays
■ Not predictive
■ No constraint handling
■ Tuning impossible for unstable processes
 Multivariable Control
SETPOINT
(Target)
APC

c1 m1
C PROCESS m2 M
c2
c3 G
m3
c4
C = G.M
APC and Optimiser
APC is the continuous and real time
implementation of Technological and
Operation know-how through the use of
sufficient computing power in dynamic plant
environment in order to maximize
profitability
The objective of Optimiser is
-to generate operating targets which maximize
profits within all relevant constraints
 Why A P C ...

■ Processes are interactive and complex

– …to handle the interactions simultaneously
■ Numerous operating constraints exist
– … to handle the constraints simultaneously
■ Frequent variations occur in the plant
– … to operate more proactively
■ Optimum operating point keeps shifting
– … to operate at most profitable conditions
 How A P C works
■ to handle the interactions simultaneously
– MIMO Dynamic Model
■ to operate more proactively
– Dynamic model gives predictive capability
■ to handle the constraints simultaneously
– Multiple Constraint Problem
■ to operate at most profitable conditions
– Cost Constraint Problem
 APC Requirements
■ Requires a model of the process
■ Process variable categories:
■ Manipulated variables ( MV)
■ Controlled variables (CV)

■ Disturbance variables (DV)

■ Model : CV response to a MV, DV change

■ Predicts future effects on CV, from MV &
DV
 Typical CDU Model CV

MV
DV
 Reference Trajectory
Past Future
setpoint

CV
Prediction horizon

T-3 T-2 T-1 T+1 T+2 T+3 T+4 T+5 T+6

MV
Control horizon
APC pushes to Optimal
Constraints
Compressor
Speed Optimal
Constrained
Operation
Pressure

Typical Column
DP
Operating
Region

Temperature Motor
Amps
Qualities
 APC solution
■ Operator Limits + Current Values +
Models ==> best combination of MV
setpoint changes
■ Objective function : Minimization of sum
of the square of errors
■ Uses an LP or SQP to find the best
solution
 Benefits of APC
■ Maximize profit margin
– Throughput increase
– Increased yields of value added products
– Energy savings
– Improved and consistent product quality
■ Improved Stability
■ Smooth and consistent operation /Enhanced disturbance
rejection /Reduced variation in key parameters
Is like the best operator controlling the process at every instant
 Multivariable Control
Benefits
Suppress (minimize) process variances enabling
the “pushing” of constraints

Specification
or Limit

Average

Average

Current Variations Move Average

Operation Reduced with Closer to
Advanced Control Specification or Limit
 APC Features
■ Model-based
■ Multi-variable
■ Predictive action
■ Steady-state economic target
calculation
■ Honours constraints while
pushing limits
 APC Scheme
AW
DMC+

FOXAPI

Nodebus

PID PID PID CP

 APC Implementation
■ APC Controller drives the setpoint of the
DCS controller

■ Assumes that the PID controller will

bring the process variable to its new
setpoint
 APC Vendors
■ IDCOM Controller from Setpoint Inc. (merged
with Aspen)
■ DMCplus Controller from DMCC (now Aspen)
■ Star Controller from Dot Products
■ SMOC from Shell
■ Connoisseur from Foxboro
■ RMPCT from Honeywell
■ … many more
 APC s in Reliance
■ SMCA IDCOM Controllers in PX and
LAB, Patalganga. Will be upgraded to
DMCplus
■ Star Controller implemented with in-
house APC teams in 11 plants
■ DMCplus Controller used in Naphtha
Cracker, Hazira
APC implementations in
Reliance
■ Patalganga Division
– PTA ( Star Controller)
– PX (SMCA Controller)
– LAB (SMCA Controller)
APC implementations in
Reliance
■ Hazira
– MEG 1,2 & 3 (Star Controller)
– PVC (Star Controller)
– PE 1 & 2 (Star Controller)
– PTA 1 & 2 (Star Controller)
– POY CP 4 & 5 (Star Controller)
– Naphtha Cracker (DMCPlus Controller)
 APC s Installed at
Jamnagar
■ CDU 1 & 2
■ FCCU
■ Coker
■ Hydrotreaters
■ Aromatics
 Levels of Process
Automation
Planning, Economics

Real-Time Optimization

Advanced Process Control

Distributed Control System

 Steps in APC
implementation
■ Functional Design of control strategy
■ Detailed Engineering
■ Procurement & installation of new instrumentation
■ DCS configuration (graphics, tags, etc)
■ Tune PID’s & modify DCS strategies (if necessary)
■ Dynamic testing & Model Identification
■ Simulation & off-line tuning
■ Software integration, communication check
■ Operator training
■ Controller commissioning and on-line tuning
■ Post-audit
Typical APC SCREEN
APC BENEFITS
CDU APC
 Range of CDU/VDU
Benefits
■ ACU: 0.04 – $0.08/BBL of crude
■ Vacuum unit: $0.05 – $0.10/BBL of
atmospheric residuum.
■ Combined: $0.06 – $0.13/BBL of crude

■ At 520,000 Barrels/Day =
$10.9million to $23.6million per
year. ==> 50 to 100 Cr/yr
 1997/11/1 0:00
1997/11/3 0:00
1997/11/5 0:00
1997/11/7 0:00
1997/11/9 0:00
1997/11/11 0:00
1997/11/13 0:00
1997/11/15 0:00
1997/11/17 0:00

Pre- Commissioning
1997/11/19 0:00
Regenarator Pressure(P103)

1997/11/21 0:00
1997/11/23 0:00
1997/11/25 0:00
1997/11/27 0:00
1997/11/29 0:00
1997/12/1 0:00
1997/12/3 0:00
1997/12/5 0:00
1997/12/7 0:00
1997/12/9 0:00
1997/12/11 0:00
1997/12/13 0:00
1997/12/15 0:00
1997/12/17 0:00
1997/12/19 0:00
1997/12/21 0:00
1997/12/23 0:00
Post Commissioning

1997/12/25 0:00
1997/12/27 0:00
1997/12/29 0:00
1997/12/31 0:00
1998/1/2 0:00
before and after APC

1998/1/4 0:00
1998/1/6 0:00
1998/1/8 0:00
Mainfractionator Delta Pressure

1998/1/10 0:00
1998/1/12 0:00
P103 Average 2.467

1998/1/14 0:00
1998/1/16 0:00
Standard Deviation 0.00482

Not Actively controlled

because of other constraints
P103.PV

iT101DP)
T101DP.PV
 Operator Workload (example)

Measure of Before After (#/day)

Operator Workload (#/day)
Alarms 23 11
Operator interventions 155 40
 DMCplus Controller
Terminology
Manipulated Variables (MV’s)
■ The “handles” DMCplus moves or
“manipulates” to control the process.
■ For example:
– a distillation column reboiler steam flow set point (an
MV) is moved to control the bottoms composition (a CV)

Feedforward Variables (FF’s)

■ Variables which affect the process but
which the controller cannot manipulate.
– For example:
■ Ambient temperature.
 DMCplus Controller
Terminology
Controlled Variables (CV’s)
■ Variables that change when a manipulated or
feedforward variable moves
■ CV’s are measurements that represent
important operating limits and targets
■ For example:
– Flue gas O2
– Product composition (EP’s)
– Valve positions
– RCSV DP
■ Also called “Dependent Variables”
Read limits
& other
operator DMCplus Controller
entries for
all CVs and
MVs

Read CV, FF & Write new

current MV MV values
values

Process (DCS)
 Dynamic Model of a Column

Feed Temp Feed To Pressure Reflux Steam to

Column Flow Reboiler

Overhead
Drum
Level

DP

Top
Comp.

Bottom
Comp.
Linear Programming (LP)
CW

AI

Reflux Top product

dP

Feed
Steam

AI

Bottom product
 Linear Programming (LP)
steam flow
low limit max bottoms
max min
impurity
overhead
impurity
hi
gh max
MV2 - dP overhead
Reflux
Flow
impurity

Feasible
Region
min
reflux low limit

MV1 - Steam Flow

min max
Linear Programming (LP)
steam flow
low limit max bottoms
max min
impurity
overhead
impurity
hi
gh max
MV2 - dP overhead
Reflux impurity
Flow

min
reflux low limit

MV1 - Steam Flow

min max
THANK YOU