APC Implementation For Depropaniser Column: Figure 1: Overall Configuration and Location of Depropaniser Unit

APC Implementation for Depropaniser column
Introduction
The depropaniser column is part of a series of fractionating units for FCC unit. The scope of
APC implementation was to control the top temperature and bottom quality. Eventually
RTO will send targets to top temperature and bottom quality.
IPS HP
Scrub
Off Gas
WGC WGC HPS

Stage1 Stage2
LPS
ADIP Off Gas

Absorber To FG pool
TCR Loop
LCO
Stripper
Deethaniz
er
Absorber
MCR Loop
Propylene
Main Deprop
Frac
HCO
Stripper
PP
BB Splitter
HCO Debut
Fresh LCCG
Feed
Slurry Propane
Stripper
Slurry HCCG
Gasoli
ne
Steam
Splitter
BCR Loop CCGD
Fresh Feed DeSalter
Figure 1: Overall configuration and location of Depropaniser Unit
Challenges:
The FCC has frequent feed diet and composition changes, the existing basic control scheme
for depropaniser was sub-optimal and not designed to account for these feed changes.
Therefore considerable operator intervention was required to maintain the products within
their specification. The column was found to be operated very conservatively. Maintaining
top quality was the main concern and the operators were struggling to keep the bottom
quality within specification.
As the operators were manually stabilizing column operation – something the base-layer in
the DCS should take care of – redesigning of DCS controls was necessary before the unit was
‘’APC ready’’. APC can only work properly if the basic control scheme stabilizes column
operation.
Observations:
It was observed that the top cut temperature changed with the bottom reboiler load.
Operator was adjusting the reflux to get the temperature spikes in control; this meant that
the column was always operating at over the required reflux flow. This caused the bottom
reboiler load to vary and leads to off-spec bottom product.
2
In Addition, the duty controller for reboiler was not calculating the duty correctly. There was
always a significant time delay in the change in the calculated duty and actual impact of the
change and hence the bottom quality was never controlled. The bottom reboiler was a heat
sink for the main fractionator and hence changes in reboiler duty were having a cascading
effect on the overall operation.
3
Baselayer Changes and APC:

The primary change was addition of a baselayer reflux ratio controller as a master to the reflux
flow, with APC setting the value of the reflux ratio instead of reflux. This means fixing up the energy
balance across the column as well as adding a derivative control loop and thus minimising the
operator action needed for feed changes. The level controller for the overhead collector was
cascaded to the distillate flow.
Since there is no top quality analyser, the prediction of impurities in the top product was difficult
and that introduces a non-linear behaviour (different temperatures when the top product is pure
and when there is slight impurity). APC is able to handle this non-linearity in a better way because it
can be incorporated into the prediction models.
An additional constraint of minimum reflux flow was added to MPC during commissioning to counter
the effect of frequent feed changes to the column, effectively limiting the valve output of the ratio
controller to a certain value.
In order to take into account the pressure changes in the column due to ambient condition changes,
the two temperature measurements were converted to pressure compensated temperature.
Results
Below some before –after results are shown.
In the below trends,

Red: Reflux flow
Light green: Depropaniser Top temperature
Figure 2: Before trends for the top temperature with APC OFF due to the cyclic disturbances
4
Figure 3: New APC control with modified reflux ratio control for top temperature
In the below trend:

Black: C3 in Bottoms
Red: Depropaniser bottom temperature
Figure 4: Disturbance in bottom temperature due to over-refluxing and analyser goes off-range
Figure 5: New APC maximises the bottom quality up to the max. Specifications
What did we achieve?

Intangible benefits:
 Reduce the interactions between the top and bottom temperatures, so that feed
changes will not affect the top cut-temp and hence quality.
5
 Have a running MPC application which reduces the variation in C3 in bottom to a

minimum while maintaining the top quality.
The various optimisation benefits which are difficult to quantify are:
 Heat load reduction was an obvious benefit as we are limiting the over-refluxing into
the column, but since the reboiler duty is a heat sink for the FCC main fractionator
unit, calculating it is difficult.
 Controlling the deviation in the bottom spec to a minimum. The bottom product is
consumed in-house and currently the refinery planning team (RTO in future) fixes
the bottom specification based on economics. Hence the final effect of having
minimum deviation cannot be individually calculated.
Conclusion:
The unit is a good candidate for MPC, operations are very happy with a more stable
operation of the unit.

APC Implementation For Depropaniser Column: Figure 1: Overall Configuration and Location of Depropaniser Unit

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APC Implementation for Depropaniser column

WGC WGC HPS

ADIP Off Gas

BCR Loop CCGD

Fresh Feed DeSalter

Figure 1: Overall configuration and location of Depropaniser Unit

Baselayer Changes and APC:

In the below trends,

In the below trend:

What did we achieve?

 Have a running MPC application which reduces the variation in C3 in bottom to a

The various optimisation benefits which are difficult to quantify are:

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