Maximising alcohol recovery process at Sasol chemical industries

February 2002 System Integration & Control Systems Design

Sasol Chemical Industries has appointed Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions to install an Advanced Process Control (APC) system on one of its Alcohol Recovery Units.

George La Grange, Senior Control Engineer at Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions, says the new system will maximise the recovery processes of alcohol related by-products. "Another important benefit that will result from the new APC system is the flexibility to switch between selected by-products automatically and determine their quantity, based on market demand", says La Grange. "In the past, operators in the Alcohol Recovery Unit controlled these requirements manually. Now the process should be able to run closer to the specification."

In addition, the new system will also require less operator intervention and will also save on hydrogen. The main function of the Alcohol Recovery Unit is to produce final alcohol products from the bottom stream of the Carbonyl stripper. Sabutol and Ethanol are the most valuable products to emerge from this unit. The recovery process is separated into alcohol dehydration, ketone hydrogenation and product purification.

The APC solution, scheduled for completion by the middle of 2002, comprises three Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions' Profit Controllers - one for the carbonyl hydrogenation section, where the controllers will assist in the minimisation of hydrogen use, and two for the purification sections, to optimise the recovery of the alcohol products. Columns will be grouped in order to facilitate easy changeover in production requirements.

The controllers are designed to interface with a Profit Optimiser application in future, with minimal adjustment required, to yield even more benefits.

George La Grange, Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions

(011) 463 5524

[email protected]

www.honeywell.com

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