Comparison between Different Control Approaches of the UOP Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit

Different traditional and advanced control strategies have been tested and the performance investigated, revealing their incentives. The investigated control approaches are: conventional decentralized PID control, MPC control based on analytical model, MPC based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model and Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC). Comparative control results are shown for the multivariable control structures, aimed to control the main variables of the unit, such as: reactor and regenerator temperature, catalyst inventory in the reactor and oxygen content in the regenerator stack gas, in the presence of typical disturbances. The results reveal the incentives of the investigated approaches (with analytical or ANN models) over the classical decentralized PID control scheme but also the benefits of the Fuzzy Logic Control.