Sub-Coordinators: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Engell, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens-Uwe Repke
Researchers: M.Sc. Ronaldo Hernández, M.Sc. Markus Illner

State of the art

During the first project period two miniplants were designed and constructed. The first plant is operated with thermomorphic solvent systems (TMS) at TU Dortmund, the second plant is operated using micellar solvent systems (MLS) at TU Berlin. The TMS plant is equipped with the typical laboratory automation system LabView (National Instruments). Stable and long term operation of the plant was achieved in continuous mode, the lab scale reaction conditions could be verified. The MLS plant is automated with an industrial automation system PCS7 (Siemens) and extensive online measurement instrumentation. For continuous plant operation an adequate control scheme is needed for the stabilization of the phase separation.

Research goals

The goal of this subproject is to develop strategies for the stabilization and economic online optimization of the operation of the mini plants situated in Berlin and Dortmund as well as a strategy for the time optimized plant start-up for the mini plant in Berlin. The main challenge is the inexact description of the behavior of the plants by the available process models. Despite these model uncertainties, an efficient operation of the plants should be achieved. The developed solutions will be of general interest for the operation of complex industrial process where key physico-chemical phenomena cannot de described accurately by rigorous process models.

Recent Publications

Bublitz, S.; Esche, E.; Tolksdorf, G.; Mehrmann, V. Analysis and Decomposition for Improved of Nonlinear Process Models in Chemical Engineering. Chem. Eng. Tech., 171, 513-519, 2017. [https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.201700041]

Cadavid, J.L., Hernandez, R., Engell, S. Speed-up of iterative Real-Time Optimization by Estimating the Steady States in the Transient Phase using Nonlinear System Identification. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 50:1, 11269-11274, 2017. [doi: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2017.08.1626]

Esche, E.; Hoffmann, C.; Illner, M.; Müller, D.; Fillinger, S.; Tolksdorf, G.; Bonart, H.; Wozny, G.; Repke, J.-U. MOSAIC – Enabling Large-Scale Equation-Based Flow Sheet Optimization. Chem. Ing. Tech., 89(5), 620-635, 2017. [doi: 10.1002/cite.201600114]

Gao, W.; Hernandez, R.; Engell, S. Real-time optimization of a novel hydroformylation process by using transient measurements in modifier adaptation. IFAC Conference Paper Archive, 50(1), 5731-5736, 2017. [doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2017.08.1128]

Müller, D.; Illner, M.; Esche, E.; Pogrzeba, T.; Schmidt, M.; Schomäcker, R.; Biegler, L. T.; Wozny, G.; Repke, J-U. Dynamic real-time optimization under uncertainty of a hydroformylation mini-plant. Comp. Chem. Eng., 106, 836-848, 2017. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2017.01.041]

Esche, E.; Müller, D.; Werk, S.; Grossmann, I. E.; Wozny, G. Solution of Chance-Constrained Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming Problems. Comput.-Aided Chem. Eng., 38, 91-96, 2016. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63428-3.50020-5]

Gao, W.; Hernández, R.; Engell, S. A Study of Explorative Moves during Modifier Adaptation with Quadratic Approximation. Processes, 4(45), 2016. [doi:10.3390/pr4040045]

Hernández, R.; Engell, S. Modelling and iterative Real-time Optimization of a homogeneously catalyzed hydroformylation process. Comput.-Aided Chem. Eng., 38, 1-6, 2016. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63428-3.50005-9]

Hoffmann, C.; Illner, M.; Müller, D.; Esche, E.; Wozny, G.; Biegler, L. T.; Repke, J.-U. Moving-horizon State Estimation with Gross Error Detection for a Hydroformylation Mini-plant. Comput.-Aided Chem. Eng., 38, 1485-1490, 2016. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63428-3.50252-6]

López C., D.C.; Wozny, G.; Flores-Tlacuahuac, A.; Vasquez-Medrano, R.; Zavala, V. M. A Computational Framework for Identifiability and Ill-Conditioning Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Models. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 55, 3026-3042, 2016. [doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.5b03910]

Merchan, V. A.; Esche, E.; Fillinger, S.; Tolksdorf, G.; Wozny, G. Computer-Aided Process and Plant Development. A Review of Common Software Tools and Methods and Comparison against an Integrated Collaborative Approach. Chem. Ing. Tech., 88(1-2), 50–69, 2016. [doi: 10.1002/cite.201500099]

Merchan, V. A.; Wozny, G. Comparative evaluation of rigorous thermodynamic models for the description of the hydroformylation of 1-dodecene in a thermomorphic solvent system. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 55, 293-310, 2016. [doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.5b03328]

López C., D.C.; Barz, T.; Körkel, S.; Wozny, G. Nonlinear Ill-Posed Problem Analysis in Model-Based Parameter Estimation and Experimental Design. Comput. Chem. Eng., 77, 24-42, 2015. [doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2015.03.002]

Dissertations

López Cárdenas, D. C. Systematic evaluation of ill-posed problems in model-based parameter estimation and experimental design. Technische Universität Berlin, 2016. [More]

Müller, D. Development of operation trajectories under uncertainty for a hydroformylation mini plant. Technische Universität Berlin, 2015.
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