Simultaneous Process and Control System Design for Styrene Polymerization

ASTEASUAIN, MARIANO; SARMORIA, CLAUDIA; BRANDOLIN, ADRIANA; BANDONI, ALBERTO

Buenos Aires

Congreso; XIX Congreso Argentino de Control Automático; 2004

Comité Organizador

Chemical engineering science has recognized the necessity of integrating process design and control; however, few steps have been taken in this direction in polymer science. In this work, a Mixed-Integer Dynamic Optimization approach is used for the simultaneous design and control of a styrene polymerization reactor. A feedforward-feedback control scheme is optimally designed for grade transition operation. This task includes finding the ?best? pairings between manipulated and controlled variables. The process design, performed simultaneously with that of its control system, involves reactor and initiator selection, and steady-state operating points. A multiobjective optimization is carried out to minimize both off-specification product during grade transition and steady-state cost objectives.