Fluctuations in crude oil properties can have a significant impact on the refinery’s operational marginality. On the one hand, they can result in substandard distillates. On the other hand, fluctuations can lead to missed revenue opportunities due to quality giveaways stemming from changes in feedstock composition. Without prior knowledge of the pending change in crude oil composition, the operator or the process control system will be unable to respond to it as the column’s temperature profile shifts and distillate properties change. The inertia of the rectification process will delay the adjustment of the setpoints. Integrating real-time crude oil composition measurements obtained by Modcon MOD 4100 Crude Oil NIR Analyser into the column’s APC system can allow it to respond to changes in feedstock properties proactively. However, the limitations of the legacy APC systems prevent the full exploitation of crude oil composition information. MODCON AI CDU Optimisation Suite addresses the limitations of legacy APC systems through an AI-driven process controller informed by Modcon MOD 4100 Crude Oil NIR Analyser.
