4976 Bear Mountain Drive

Evergreen, CO  80439

office: 303-670-8392 

cell:  303-670-9092            

e-mail:  bob@procontrol.net            

 
logo_100wide ProControl, Inc.                   

  Process Control Education and Technology                  

  Robert V. Bartman, Ph.D., President                              

 

 

 


FCC Fractionator Overhead Drum Level stabilization,

and downstream gasoline blend stabilization,

achieved by a refinery’s use of Discover

 

The following e-mail and graphics were received unsolicited (in 2010) from the advanced control group head at a major overseas refinery.   This refinery enjoys a sitewide license to ProControl’s ‘Discover’ dynamic modeling and loop tuning software, and routinely sends their advanced control engineers to ProControl’s ‘Revelations in Control’ course.

 

FCC Fractionator Ovhd Drum Level Text 

                       

 

 

 

Here’s their first attached graphic, showing:  a) the ‘before’ tuning achieved by another well-known tool,  b) the step testing mentioned above, and  c) Discover’s tuning outcome.  Note the difference in ‘Overheads Product’ and ‘Cat Gasoline ex Debutaniser’ flow stability:

 

FCC Drum Level Retuned by Discover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This second graphic illustrates Derivative’s power to ‘anticipate’ load disturbances, referenced in the above e-mail.  We’ve given Discover a full-PID capability that outshines anything on the market.

 

FCC Drum Load Changes Anticipated by Discovers Derivative Tuning 

 

 

Note the highly effective – and highly stable – shifts in (orange-ish) level controller output at the onset of level changes.  These OP shifts, largely due to Derivative, closely mimic actual flow disturbances into the drum.