Expert system of a crude oil distillation unit for process optimization using neural networks

An expert system of crude oil distillation unit (CDU) was developed to carry out the process optimization on maximizing oil production rate under the required oil product qualities. The expert system was established using the expertise of a practical CDU operating system provided by a group of experienced engineers. The input operating variables of the CDU system were properties of crude oil and manipulated variables; while the system output variables were defined as oil product qualities. The knowledge database of the CDU operating model can be built using the input-output data with an approach of artificial neural networks (ANN). The built ANN model can be applied on predicting the oil product qualities with respect to the system input variables. In addition, a design of experiment was implemented to analyze the effect of the system input variables on the oil product qualities. Optimal operating conditions were then found using the knowledge database with an optimization method according to a defined objective function. The built expert system can provide on-line optimal operating information of the CDU process to the operators corresponding to the change of crude oil properties. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.