Optimal fuzzy control to reduce energy consumption in distillation columns

Abstract

Distillation columns constitute a signi cant fraction of the capital invested in the re neries around the world; their control requires a major part of the total operating cost of chemical processes, if the used strategy is not adequate. This article presents the application of optimal fuzzy control to reduce the energy consumption of a Benzene-Toluene distillation column. This method is based on the determination of the speci c values of the fuzzy controller parameters such that certain performance criterion is minimised. Results of a simulation study are presented showing the potential improvement o ered by this method