A DMC implementation for a binary distillation column: a MIMO approach

Distillation columns are essential equipment for many industries, they are in charge of separating liquid mixtures based on the volatility differences of their components. Traditional PID control techniques have proven not to be the best fit for operating distillation columns when trying to obtain pure components, since they are a very complex process. In order to test MPC control with distillation columns, a real pilot-scale model is chosen and a multiple-input multiple-output DMC algorithm is developed in MATLAB®. Additionally, a fuzzy logic controller is created based on previous work, in order to compare the distillation column control performance. Simulation results show good performance of the MPC.