Predictive Gas Air-Cooling Unit Automated Control Systems

One of the main process operations in the natural gas production and transportation is its cooling after compression to reduce volume. This operation is carried out by air-cooling units (ACU). When controlling the gas temperature at the ACU output, in the control channel, delays occur that noticeably deteriorate the control system performance. Therefore, when synthesizing and building ACS, additional measures are required to improve the system response. As an analysis of the research in this area shows, various controller types, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and other means are used for this purpose. The paper considers the possibility of using predictive ACS based on Smith predictor or Reswick controller to control ACU. Studies have shown that both devices improve the control quality by adjusting parameters such as the attenuation rate and the response time. The degree of the effect of changes in the object parameters by ± 30 % on the control quality has also been studied. Both systems have proven sustainable performance. ACS based on the Reswick controller provides faster response, therefore, it can be recommended for use in winter.