Optimization and control of an industrial packed-bed reactor for the production of ethylene oxide
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
12-23-2008
Abstract
The control problem of an existing industrial multi-tubular packed-bed reactor for the production of ethylene oxide was studied. The production of ethylene oxide was based on the partial oxidation the ethylene with oxygen. The stabilization of the process was achieved by manipulation of the inlet coolant and feed temperatures to the reactor and the addition of 1, 2-dichloroethene that acted as reaction moderator. The problem associated with the need of real-time measurements along the reactor can be overcome with the design of an observer. The observer or soft-sensor can estimate ethylene oxide concentration in the reactor outlet stream and the catalyst bed temperature along the reactor from the real-time measurements. The observer-based control was robust and presented a good closed-performance despite modeling mismatch and sustained disturbances. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Spring National Meeting (New Orleans, LA 4/6-10/2008).
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
2008 AIChE Spring National Meeting, Conference Proceedings
Recommended Citation
Galán, O., Gomes, V., & Romagnoli, J. (2008). Optimization and control of an industrial packed-bed reactor for the production of ethylene oxide. 2008 AIChE Spring National Meeting, Conference Proceedings Retrieved from https://repository.lsu.edu/chem_engineering_pubs/620