Model Based Operation of Polymer Processes – What has to be Done?

Abstract

AbstractSummary: In the last two decades, simulation technology had a large influence on process industries. Today, modern numerical methods, powerful personal computers and convenient software packages facilitate the solution of complex chemical engineering problems on the basis of rigorous process models at every office workplace. However, although in many cases process models are available from the process design step, model based operation of production plants can only be found rarely. Changing this situation would significantly contribute to the cost effectiveness of many production plants.This contribution focuses on the model based operation of polymer processes which are for some reasons not perfectly suited for model application: Polymer process models tend to be complex, meaningful online measurements are expensive and not always reliable, many polymer processes are performed in batch instead of steady‐state and for most polymer plants, due to the smaller throughput, the economic impact of model application is much smaller than compared to for instance a steam cracker.When model based operation is considered, it has to be recognized that there is not one single approach but many different alternatives of which maybe only a single one will lead to a sustainable economical improvement of the process. From many successfully applied concepts for model based plant operation it can be clearly identified that always trying to implement the most complex solution (e.g. nonlinear closed‐loop online optimization) is neither possible nor reasonable but that plant specific tailor‐made solutions are necessary.