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Modeling and Simulation of The Ammonia Synthesis Column
Modeling and Simulation of The Ammonia Synthesis Column
Abstract: - The paper presents the possibilities of simulation of steady and dynamic regimes for ammonia
synthesis columns. We present the possibilities of study of the dynamic regimes for automatic control of the
temperature in catalyst layers and propose an advanced control structure using the fresh gas flows between
catalyst layers as commands. We also present the possibilities of optimization of the column steady states to
obtain a higher conversion factor using the control of gas flows between the catalyst layers. This optimization
algorithm is part of the main advanced control program for the synthesis column.
Catalyst, Layer 1 u1
c) Mixer j - cj, cp0, cp1, cpj are thermal and mass coefficients,
dTaj F j 1 - Tj (j=14) are temperatures in the catalyst layer j
(c pj 1T pj 1 c pj T j ) - Taj (j=14) are temperatures at the output of the
dt 1000
(5) mixer j
FRj
(c p 0T0 c pj T j ) - xaj, xbj are the concentrations of the nitrogen and
1000 hydrogen on the layer j
0,521
3
xbj
V Rj 0,9 x aj F2=F1+FR2 ; F3=F1+FR1+FR2 ; F4=F1+FR1+FR2+ FR3;
0.60648 x x 2
aj bj
0, 479
(6) The coefficient values are presented in Annex,
0.60648 x x 2
aj bj
table 1. The mathematical model of the synthesis
3
xbj column given by equations (1-7) was implemented
in Matlab in order to study the column operation in
25107.7 dynamic regime, to determine the sensitivity of the
K Tj exp 27.751
Tj commands u1-u4 (see fig. 2) reported to column
parameters and the allowed ranges for commands
(7)
and to determine the temperature ranges in the
were:
column for temperature sensors design.
- j 1,4 FR1=0, F1 = 18860 Kmol/h, Fj = Fj-1 + Because of the high cost of the gas concentration
FRj; sensors, temperature sensors mounted inside the
catalyst layers and mixing areas are used to provide rate xc and fugacity coefficients for N2, H2 and NH3.
feedback for the control algorithms. Eventually we obtain an algebraic equation that
gives us the equilibrium conversion rate:
a2 xe2 2a1 xe a0 0 (11)
3 Optimization Procedures for the The real solutions of the equation represent the
Maximum Final Conversion Rate maximum possible value for the conversion rate. At
In order to obtain maximum conversion rate of the entrance in the new catalyst layer we determine
nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia, we must the conversion rate:
determine the optimum cooling flows between the xej 1F10
catalyst layers and working temperatures in the xj j
(12)
column. Advanced control algorithms determine F10 FRi
these parameters periodically or on demand, using i
an optimization algorithm. and temperature
The optimization algorithm is based on following F c T FRa c pjT1
hypotheses: T j m pm ej 1 (13)
( Fm FRa )c p
-The equivalent reactor for each layer is
considered adiabatic; Relations (8-13) can be integrated using initial
-The catalytic reactions are taking place in conditions x=0 and Ti0=T1 and we can obtain the
quasi-homogenous layers; optimum flow Fi and temperatures at the entrance
-The gas cooling is considered instantaneous of each layer: FR2=3000Kmol/h, FR3=1900 Kmol/h,
compared with the mass and heat transfer inside the FR4=600 Kmol/h, T2=717 K, T3=734 K, T4=753 K
catalyst layer; and the final conversion is XA = 0.221.
-The gas flow through the catalyst layer can be In figure 3 is presented the dependence between the
approximated by a traveling model; conversion rate and temperature for each layer.
-Pressure losses on catalyst layers are
negligible;
In steady state, for each catalyst layer we can 4 Advanced Control of Synthesis
define the mathematical model of the process: Columns in Fault Conditions
a) Conversion rate In figure 2 is presented the block diagram of the
dx aj S advanced control system for the synthesis column.
V Raj (8) The system provides the temperature and cooling
dz FMN 0
flow control, based on optimum values provided by
b) Heat accumulation inside the gas mix
the optimization block.
and catalyst
This strategy uses the flows F1 to F4 to get a
dT j S
( H Ra )V Raj (9) maximum conversion rate and a maximum
dz FM c p production for normal working conditions. Also,
where: xAi = conversion rate on layer j, T j = these flows can be used in the case of a temporary
temperature on layer j, Fmn0 =nitrogen molar flow at fault of the main feed (actuator fault for the flow
the reactor entrance, cp = molar specific heat of the F1) or in the case of catalyst exhaustion for the first
synthesis gas, VRaj = reaction speed, DHRa=reaction or second layer.
enthalpy (depends on T). For advanced control, the conventional control of
The reaction speed can be represented as a the ammonia synthesis column at the Kellogg
function of catalyst used and reactants (NH3, N2, ammonia plant from Craiova was replaced with
H2) concentrations in real and equilibrium numeric control (DCS and PLS), using a
conditions ( Tempkin-Pijev model). hierarchical distributed control structure. Beside the
standard software, new software was developed to
K tj (T ) y *NH
2
y1H.52 y N 2 y NH 3 monitor and optimize the synthesis process.
VRaj *3 * 3
1.5 The program structure for advanced control of
p yH 2 y N 2 y NH 3 yH 2 the synthesis column is presented in figure 4.
Periodically, during operation, the optimal
(10)
procedure is called to compute the optimal flows F1
Equilibrium concentrations and constants can be to F4 and optimal temperatures at the entrance and
represented as a function of equilibrium conversion exit of every layer, using the current data from the
790
780 T [K]
770
760
750 Layer IV
740
730 Layer III
720 Layer II
710 Layer I
700
690
680
XA
670
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2 0.22
Tg0
Fault
display
5 Conclusions
The program allows the operators from the control [5]. M. Vinatoru, Automatic Control of Industrial
room to permanently evaluate the working Processes, Ed. Universitaria, Craiova, 2001.
conditions and compare them with the optimal [6]. M. Vinatoru, E. Iancu, C. Vinatoru, Robust
values. control for actuator failures, Proceedings of 2nd
- It allows the permanent control of process IFAC Symposium ROCOND'97, Budapest, 1997,
parameters. pp. 537 - 542.
- It allows the simple adaptation to the real optimal [7]. M. Vntoru, M., E. Iancu, C. Vntoru,
working conditions. R.J.Patton, J. Chen, Fault Isolation Using Inverse
Sensitivity Analysis, International Conference on
References: Control'98, University of Wales, Swansea, England,
[1]. C. Crove, Chemical Plant Simulation, Prentice- vol. 2, 1998, pp. 964-968.
Hall, London, 1971.
[2]. E. Iancu, M. Vinatoru, Fault Detection and ANNEX
Identification in Dynamic Systems , Craiova, Sitech,
Romania, 1999. Table 1. Equation constants
[3]. R Isermann, Supervision, fault detection and Const Layer I Layer II Layer III Layer IV
fault diagnosis methods. An introduction, Control cj 5.504 3.4673 2.01 0.5225
Engineering Practice, 5(5), 1997, pp. 639 652. cRj 1 0.514 0.635 0.12793
caj 5.4763 3.40831 1.992 0.5225
cpj 5.5048 3.4621 2.01 0.5225
cp0 0.2133 0.21229 0.11239 0.11229