Modelling a heating-power actuator for a distillation column boiler

Heat exchange systems are widely used in industry to transfer thermal energy from one body to another with a definite purpose, as in the distillation process. However, it is essential to have an adequate control system to ensure the proper process operation. This paper presents the modelling, simulation and implementation of a controlled actuator for a distillation column boiler. The proposed actuator is an electrical scheme to control the electric power of the boiler heating resistor in order to control the heat output used in the distillation column. The actuator model consists of an AC-DC converter, a DC-DC Buck converter and a PI voltage controller. The model is simulated in Matlab and validated in a real prototype.