Control of a reactive distillation column for methyl acetate system using Aspen Plus

Serious control related problems are encountered in a reactive distillation column due to its very complex process dynamics. In this paper ASPEN PLUS simulation software has been used to control a reactive distillation column for maintaining the product purity at the desired level. System nonlinearity and interactions make direct control of product purity for the high-purity design quite difficult. Introduction of tray temperature control helps in preventing the nonlinearity problem. ASPEN PLUS dynamics extends Aspen Plus steady-state models into dynamic process models, enabling design and verification of process control schemes. A tight and robust control scheme with two levels and one each of pressure, temperature, flow, composition and reflux controllers have been used to maintain the product purity at the desired levels and safely operate the plant at the desired operating conditions.