An Automatic Control System Using the S7-1200 Programmable Logic Controller for the Ethanol Rectification Process

A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for ethanol rectification in an eight-section column was developed to obtain a high-concentration product. A comparative analysis among different mathematical models was conducted to find an optimal model to control the temperature of a rectification column's first plate. The PID controller was designed using a computational optimization method and implemented on an S7-1200 programmable logic controller. Furthermore, the operation in the ethanol rectification column was evaluated.