(50c) MPC Revamp of Two Naphtha Crackers, Lessons Learned and Relearned

Braskem is the 8th largest petrochemical company in the world and the biggest producer of polymers in the Americas. The Braskem Triunfo site includes 2 Naphtha Crackers with a combined capacity of 1250 KTA ethylene and 685 KTA propylene.  AspenTech DMCplus controllers had been built for both plants over the past 10 years, but were not fully operational.

In 2010 a project was initiated to review the performance of the advanced control systems and improve their operability, service factor and economic impact.   A further objective was to increase the knowledge of the site process control engineers.     This paper gives an overview on the project, including the basis for deciding which areas to focus on, changes made at both the regulatory and advanced control level, and the results obtained.  Changes in operational philosophies also were made improving process stability and efficiency.   Techniques and tools used in the project along with some suggested approaches to controller maintenance are discussed.