(346h) Setting the “PACE” with Advanced Process Control

The world is changing, and with that new technologies are emerging at a record PACE. Demands for plant efficiency are being driven harder by an increasingly competitive environment, therefore the need to incorporate best in class control which minimizes operator intervention, incorporates alarm reduction and safely operates remotely is crucial for a sustainable future.

Having a modern, DCS agnostic software that facilitates implementation and improves plant stability was imperative to maintain Air Liquide’s leadership position in the industrial gases sector.

This presentation addresses the process of implementing a robust, state of the art Advanced Process Control technology utilizing an MVPC (Multivariable Predictive Control) platform co-developed by an end-user (Shell) and a traditional control system vendor (Yokogawa) called PACE (Platform for Advanced Control and Estimation). The risks of implementing on running air separation and hydrogen plants are covered along with the improvements discovered, the role of effective base layer control strategies play in optimizing overall performance, highlights of the features that PACE brings to the table, unique challenges faced and strong financial gains that are possible with a proper application of this technology.