Optimal Plantwide Process Control Applied to the Tennessee Eastman Problem

Abstract

A new plantwide control (PWC) structure procedure is proposed and tested on the Tennessee Eastman (TE) problem. The goal of developing a plantwide control procedure is to enable control engineers to design a process control structure that will run the plant safely and achieve the economic objective of the process. The control structure developed in this study utilizes the self-optimizing control strategy of Skogestad [Comput. Chem. Eng. 2004, 28, 219−234], with an emphasis on elucidation of lower layers in the bottom-up section. It is then tested on the TE problem. For the TE problem, the control variables used for optimization are the stripper steam valve, recycle valve, agitation rate, reactor temperature, reactor pressure, reactor level, and composition B in purge. The control structure developed achieved all the control objectives at each stage including self-optimizing control. The procedure uses mathematical tools such as the generalized relative gain array (GRGA) coupled with steady state simulation.