BENEFITS ANALYSIS FOR CONTROL UPGRADE PROJECTS IN EXISTING PLANTS.

Control upgrade projects are widely recognized to be one of the best ways to improve the profitability of existing plants. An important first step in a control upgrade project is a benefits analysis study. The goal of a benefits analysis is to identify and quantify potential improvements in plant operation. Improved plant operation results from improved yields in chemical reactors, reduced energy consumption, increased product recoveries, and higher throughputs. This paper presents procedures and methods for benefits analysis. The method used for calculating benefits is described in detail and several examples are presented. Special methods are presented for benefits that are especially difficult to estimate, such as those for open-loop monitoring. The final section briefly describes the factors influencing control upgrade project costs.