Application of the IFSH Methodology for Plantwide Control for an Evaporator Benchmark Process

Plantwide control (PWC) is an inherently complex task, which is why systematic guidelines and step-wise procedures are necessary to identify proper control pairings. Several different methodologies for the development of PWC structures have been proposed over the years, trying to balance the field between formal methods, practicality, and heuristics. The Integrated Framework of Simulation and Heuristics (IFSH) by Konda et al. (2005) utilizes simulators to support the heuristic decisions, thereby reducing the dependence of experience and prior understanding of the process behavior. In this article, the framework is successfully applied to the Forced Circulation Evaporator process by Newell and Lee (1989). A step-wise application of the methodology provides the basis for a discussion of how the methodology benefits from the utilization of simulations and how it differs from previously developed control structures for this evaporator process. Copyright (C) 2021 The Authors.