Optimizing Cracking Furnace Operations with Modular Advanced Control Applications

Advanced Process Control (APC) of olefins cracking furnaces has been demonstrated over the years to offer significant improvements in performance, resulting in longer run lengths, higher capacity, better yields and increased efficiency.  While each furnace design may have some unique characteristics and different configurations, the fundamental control strategies and control objectives are essentially the same from one licensor to the next. The new generation of intelligent digital control devices has led to enhancements in technology that detects faulty measurements, poorly performing control loops and failing equipment and automatically takes action to address abnormal situations and improve overall reliability.  Accurate measurements allow accurate mass balance and energy balance which can also lead to not only better control but improved yields.  A new approach to implementing advanced regulatory controls and APC functions has been developed to execute these projects with much less effort and time using pre-engineered solutions.  In addition to implementation benefits, standard control module libraries can be more easily maintained and enhanced over time using a central support organization.  This approach ensures benefits continue to accrue over the life of the asset.  This paper introduces the modular design concepts and illustrates its application in several olefins complex.   Actual operating improvements from the technology will also be presented.