Optimal design, intelligent fuzzy logic and model predictive control for high-purity ethyl-methyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate production using reactive dividing wall column.

Methyl carbonate (EMC) and Diethyl carbonate (DEC), as excellent solvents for lithium-ion electrolytes, are synthesized by transesterification, and consecutive reaction seriously complicate optimization and control issues. Process synthesis, parameters optimization and advanced control are crucial points that should be addressed for this ill-conditioned and highly nonlinear system, which is the motivation and novelty of present work. With single-objective and multi-objective genetic algorithm, intensified processes for EMC and DEC production were optimized respectively with heterogeneous catalyst. And reactive dividing wall column achieved 23% and 13% total annualized cost reductions compared with reactive distillation for two target carbonates. Based on optimal steady-state solution, intelligent fuzzy logic and model predictive control of EMC and DEC production is conducted to clarify their respective strengths in intensified process with consecutive reaction. Sequential optimization for parameters of FLC was carried out with Integral of Squared Error (ISE) as objective. Finally, control performance of FLC and LPMC are compared with that under PID control, and results show that overshoot and transition time under FLC and LMPC are obviously mitigated, along with evident reduction in ISE. [Display omitted] • Process intensification realized for high-purity EMC and DEC production by embedding heterogeneous RD and RDWC. • Optimization carried out with effective single or multi objective genetic algorithm. • Intelligent fuzzy logic control and model predictive control developed for series intensified processes. • FLC and MPC shows superiority for controlling ill-conditioned system with high nonlinearity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]