Advanced Process Control:
Nice to have or vital to have?
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Dr. Ir. Goran Golo
Projects & Technology
Copyright of Projects & Technology
March 17th 2011
Overview
Some definitions
Why do we use APC?
How does APC produce benefits?
Sustainability of APC applications
APC nice to have?
Key Performance Factor for Processing Profitability
Which specific factor(s) lead to an increased reliability?
Improved utilization of APC improve reliability
Is APC vital reliability technology?
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March 17th 2011
Definitions
Advanced Process Control (APC): In control theory APC is a broad
term composed of different kinds of process control tools and
methodologies, often used for solving multivariable control problems
or discrete control problem. Advanced control describes a practice
which draws elements from many disciplines ranging from control
engineering, signal processing, statistics, decision theory and artificial
intelligence. The tools from which APC is composed are:
Model
Predictive Control (MPC)
Statistical
Process Control (SPC)
Run2Run
(R2R)
Fault
Detection and Classification (FDC)
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March 17th 2011
Definitions
Model Predictive Control (MPC)
Use of an explicit process model to predict the future response
Calculate optimal sequence of manipulated variables at each control interval
The first input in the optimal sequence is implemented
Entire calculation is repeated at subsequent control intervals
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March 17th 2011
Why do we use APC?
Traditionally, the key benefits from the use of advanced process
control is improved bottom line returns
Efficiency
gains (yield increase, throughput increase, reduction in
energy an raw material per unit of product)
Quality
gains (consistent product quality with minimum production
costs)
Agility
gains (manufacturing flexibility, customer responsiveness,
need to reduce working capital by processing to order not to stock)
University of Sydney Warren Centres study demonstrated that
introducing APC system could potentially provide bottom line benefits
in the range of two to six percent of operating costs.
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March 17th 2011
How does APC produce benefits?
APC produce benefits by reducing the variability of the controlled
variables.
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March 17th 2011
How does APC produce benefits?
Another source of benefits is achieved during the implementation of
APC application.
A
systematic check of instrumentation and analyzers and resolution
of bad actors.
During testing phase, key process parameters are moved from
nominal values that might lead to more beneficial operating
conditions.
Synchronize
work of shifts.
These benefits might be several times bigger than those obtained
through reduction of controlled variables variability.
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March 17th 2011
Sustainability of APC applications
Related to knowledge and skills of people involved in the maintenance
of APC applications.
On-line factor, the percent of time that the system is operational and
performing its intended job, is a KPI
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March 17th 2011
APC is nice to have?
Advantages:
Improved
Reduced
High
bottom line returns
operator intervention
VIR (much bigger than 3)
Normally
there is no need for additional hardware
Disadvantages:
Need
highly specialized personnel
Traditionally APC is not consider as something vital for processing
profitability but rather nice to have.
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March 17th 2011
Key Performance Factor for Processing Profitability
Reliability
is the KPI of a processing facility
Improvement
in reliability results in
Increase of personnel productivity,
Decrease in energy consumption
Decrease in maintenance costs
Improvement in overall profitability.
Reliability is a magic controlled variable, which if controlled at a
set-point ensures that system somehow optimize itself.
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March 17th 2011
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Which specific factor(s) lead to an increased reliability?
Maintenance strategy
preventive maintenance
root-cause failure analysis
optimized inspection frequencies,
more
disciplined planning
better spare part management etc.
A study conducted by Solomon on 100 olefin plants worldwide
shows that plants with more advanced process have higher
reliability (two-percent in average)
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Olefin Plant Reliability by George S. Birchfield
March 17th 2011
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Improved utilization of APC improve reliability?
The reasons why APC improves reliability are:
1.
APC application honors all constraints
2.
More stable operations result in less upsets
3.
Constraints are set based on reliability and safety constraints
Reduce sudden changes in operating point due to predictive nature of the
algorithm
Information about plant model is coded into APC application
The difference between the prediction and measurement brings a lot
additional information (change in operating point, degradation in equipment
and instrumentation etc)
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March 17th 2011
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Improved utilization of APC improve reliability?
With dew-point
constraint
Corrosion
Lost benefits
Without dew-point
constraint
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March 17th 2011
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Is APC vital reliability technology?
APC
Processing profitability
Reliability
KPI
Equipment
family
APC up-time
Control
Instrumentation
Management
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Rotating
Fixed
Operation, control, instrumentation,
electrical, rotating, process, maintenance,
reliability, inspection
Engineering
Operation
means and
strategies
Electrical
Business strategy, knowledge
management, HR strategy
Budget
Management
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Is APC vital reliability technology?
Factor
which influence reliability are same as factor having an effect
on APC up-time.
Dynamics
associated with APC up-time (days) is much faster than
the dynamics associated with reliability (months).
From
dynamic point of view it is more easier to control APC up-time.
APC is a vital reliability technology and APC on-line up-time is a
value metrics for process.
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March 17th 2011
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Questions?
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March 17th 2011
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