Tuning and Control Strategies for a Debutanizer Column

The performance of various conventional control strategies was compared against the tuning Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller which examined when been applied in composition control of a debutanizer column. Tuning of PID control strategies studied and analyzed included Smith Predictor control, Internal Model control, Cascade control, Feedback control and Feedforward-feedback control. The comparisons were done by MATLAB Simulation using Identification Tool (IDENT) and SIMULINK. The comparison for each control strategy performance was studied in terms of response towards set point changes and disturbance rejection towards error, manipulated variable which is valve opening and the scope. The success of control strategies are determined by the stability of the process model