Real Time Optimization in the Process Industries

The goal of Real Time Optimization (RTO) is to regularly and automatically optimize the economic performance of the process. The optimized economic strategy is obtained recognizing the current process economics, operating conditions, equipment performance and process constraints. RTO works with the underlying control system to implement the optimization strategy while observing process constraints.

Typically the starting point for the RTO is a model of the process and its economics. The model is adjusted to represent the current process performance and constraints. The model is then optimized utilizing current economics and implemented automatically to the control system. The scope and level of model detail have changed significantly over the years with increases in computing power, improved modeling and optimization techniques and with the inclusion of data-driven models.

RTO has been utilized in the process industries in varying forms and to varying degrees of success for past few decades. The goal of this paper is to provide some history and background on RTO in the process industries, identify some of the key challenges to RTO success and to discuss some of potential paths forward.