AIChE Paper Number 139E

Advanced Process Control of a Propylene Refrigeration System

Stuart Nield

Process Control Engineer

NOVA Chemicals Ltd.

Prepared for Presentation at the 2013 Spring National Meeting

San Antonio, Texas, April 29 - May 2, 2013

AIChE and EPC shall not be responsible for statements or opinions contained in papers or
printed in its publications
 Advanced Process Control of a Propylene Refrigeration System
Stuart Nield

Process Control Engineer

NOVA Chemicals Ltd.

Abstract: At the NOVA Chemicals ethylene plant in Corunna, Ontario, the Propylene
Refrigeration Compressor is the second largest steam user on site. The propylene refrigerant
provides heating or chilling for more than 20 process streams throughout the cold side of the
plant and changes in compressor operation affect a number of different unit operations. As
ambient conditions, feed types and cracking severity vary, there are opportunities to reduce
the amount of energy used by the compressor by adjusting key operating variables to reduce
recycle streams and lower compressor throughput. Because of the complexity of the system,
this is difficult to accomplish without controls that will manage the interactions between the
compressor and the process. This paper describes the development and use of an advanced
process control (APC) application that drives the compressor to lower energy usage while
maintaining stable unit and compressor operation. As well as lowering the energy demand of
the compressor, greenhouse gas emissions from the plant are reduced.
 Introduction

The NOVA Chemicals olefins plant in Corunna, Ontario is a flexible feed steam cracker
with a nameplate production capacity of 1.8 billion pounds of ethylene per year. The plant
was originally designed to crack naphtha and the feed slate has been increased to include a
range of feeds from ethane to heavier crude oil fractions. The Propylene Refrigeration
Compressor at this facility is the second largest steam user on site. The demand on the
compressor changes with ambient conditions and olefins production rates. Each cracking feed
produces a different yield of products and as yields change, the process demand on each of
the compressor stage changes as well. This difference in yields offers opportunities to lower
overall compressor energy usage by minimizing compressor throughput and gas head as
process demand for propylene refrigerant changes. However, because of the complex
interactions between the compressor and the process, minimizing energy usage without
exceeding process limits is difficult without supervisory controls that can monitor and
continuously adjust compressor operation. This paper describes the development and use of
an APC application that drives the compressor to lower energy usage while maintaining stable
unit and compressor operation. As well as lowering the energy demand of the compressor,
greenhouse gas emissions from the plant are reduced.

Background

Propylene refrigerant liquid and vapour streams provide heating or chilling in more than
25 exchangers on 12 distillation towers throughout the Cold Side of the plant. Changes in
compressor operation affect a number of different unit operations. The system is complex and
normal operating conditions without advanced controls are typically conservative enough to
prevent the process from becoming unstable or unnecessarily capacity constrained. There is
usually enough spare compressor capacity so that normal process disturbances do not require
immediate operator intervention. Cracking feed transitions are compensated for slowly to
avoid process upsets while the demand on the refrigeration system steadies out.
In 2006, the Propylene Refrigeration Compressor was identified as a candidate for
advanced process controls that would improve unit stability and reduce the operating cost of
the compressor. The objective was to lower energy costs by operating closer to the process
limits. This would reduce turbine 1500 psig steam demand and energy consumption for steam
generation at the boilers would in turn be lower.
The advanced control application was developed using the A3 Management Process.
This is a process pioneered by the Toyota Motor Corporation to solve problems in a structured
way. The problem to be solved, key parameters and measures of success are described on a
sheet of A3 sized paper. Participants can vary and in this case, due to the size and reach of
this application, stakeholders were drawn from Process Operations, Engineering, and
Management. When used in the development of advanced controls, the system under study is
optimised manually through targeted adjustments made with the agreement of all participants.
Once the problem and the constraints are understood, advanced control development
proceeds through a normal sequence including process step testing and hazard reviews.

Process Description

The Propylene Refrigeration Compressor is a four stage centrifugal compressor with

side loads on the second and third stages and fourth stage extraction capability. The
compressor is capable of pumping 1,650,000 lbs per hour of propylene with a pressure rise of
243 psig. The driver is a 47,500 HP steam turbine supplied with superheated 1500 psig
steam. Liquid and vapour propylene streams are used for refrigeration and heating at
temperatures between -42 °C and 57 °C. The main users of propylene refrigerant are the
Demethanizer Tower reboilers and overhead condensers, the Main Ethylene Fractionator
reboiler and overhead condenser, the Depropanizer Tower reboiler, and the Deethanizer
Tower overhead condenser. Propylene refrigerant is also used to heat methane streams
leaving the cold box and ethylene product going to customers.
The process layout is shown in Figure 1. From the first stage suction drum, propylene
vapour is compressed in four stages. Vapour from the fourth stage discharge is cooled by fin
fan coolers and condensed by cooling water exchangers. Liquid propylene is collected in an
accumulator and flows to the fourth stage drum on level control and can also be routed to the
second stage drum through warm outlet cores in the cold box. Propylene vapour from the
third and fourth stages is used as a heating medium and generates additional liquid that flows
back into the suction drums. Liquid from each drum is used as a coolant in the process and
generates vapour that is recycled to the compressor at the second and third stages. Vapour is
extracted from the fourth stage at a rate that satisfies the fourth stage pressure control.
 Regulatory Controls

DCS regulatory controls on the compressor are designed to provide mass and energy
balance control on all four stages. The compressor suction drums operate at saturated
propylene conditions so that temperatures are not controlled directly but are a function of the
pressure controls. Compressor suction pressure is controlled by adjusting the compressor
rotational speed through the steam flow to the turbine. Fourth stage discharge pressure is
controlled by condensing a portion of the discharge flow in a series of cooling water
exchangers. The compressor discharge pressure controller adjusts a hot gas bypass flow
around the coolers that adjusts the amount of propylene condensation. Propylene is also held
up in the exchangers to adjust the condensing area. Fourth stage drum pressure is raised by
increasing compressor extraction flow and can be supplemented by bypassing hot vapours
around the discharge coolers. The third stage drum pressure is controlled by split range
valves that draw from the upstream drum to increase pressure or increase the side load flow
to decrease pressure. The second stage drum pressure floats on the second stage compressor
pressure.
Liquid level control on the propylene accumulator is a simple level control valve that
discharges into the fourth stage drum. Level control on the second, third, and fourth stage
suction drums is accomplished by letting down liquid from the upstream suction drum in
response to variations in the amount of propylene condensation by the process heat
exchangers. Liquid level in the first stage drum is rare and can be controlled manually to
balance the system.
Theory

The power consumed by a compressor is a linear function of the increase in head and
the mass pumped as shown in Equation 1.

𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 = 𝑚̇ ∗ ∆ℎ⁄(𝜂 ∗ 3300) (1)

Where: Power = compressor horse power [hp]
ṁ = mass flow rate [lbm/min]
Δh = gas head [ft.lbf/lb]
η = compressor efficiency

Power consumption is reduced when the mass flow rate through the compressor
decreases and when the gas head is lowered. Efficiency also affects power consumption but
this is not addressed in this work. For this system, mass flow rate is a function of several
variables including the compressor suction pressure and the side load flow rates. Increasing
the suction pressure reduces the total flow through the compressor by slowing down the
rotational speed of the turbine.
 The side loads on the second and third stages are excess propylene vapour that is not
required for drum pressure controls and is recycled to the compressor to be recompressed.
Suction drum liquid level valve management is one of the keys to minimizing recycle side loads
on the compressor. While liquid letdown through the level control valves is necessary to
maintain the compressor mass balance, flow through these valves does no useful work and
generates vapour that must be recompressed. As much as 20% of the liquid passing through
these valves is flashed to vapour. It is more efficient to operate these valves nearly closed by
routing liquid flows through processes that do useful work where possible. Another method of
reducing recycle flows is to adjust process condenser and chiller temperature set points so
that only the desired amount of sub-cooling is produced.
In addition to minimizing side loads on the compressor, maximizing propylene
extraction from the fourth stage case to process reboilers significantly off-loads flow to the
final stage of the compressor and the discharge coolers. This flow is adjusted with the
pressure set point on the fourth stage drum.
Gas head can be reduced by increasing the compressor suction pressure or decreasing
the fourth stage discharge pressure. Adjusting the discharge pressure is the most effective
means of reducing head.

APC Development and Results

Development of the Advanced Process Control application for the Propylene

Refrigeration System began in 2006. The application was commissioned late in 2006 and has
been expanded nearly every year since then. The first version of the APC had three
manipulated variables and four controlled variables. It was structured to provide a framework
to drive existing regulatory controls to target values subject to constraints in compressor and
process operation. The APC targets and constraints were selected so that the controls would
drive the process to minimum energy consumption while staying within safe operational limits.
Through daily monitoring of the APC and process conditions, the APC constraints were
adjusted to drive further incremental gains.
The first three manipulated variables were the compressor discharge pressure set point,
and the two cold box methane heater control valve outputs. Each manipulated variable was
constrained with high and low limits. These variables were found to be the main drivers of
energy consumption during the initial A3 process investigation. Minimizing discharge pressure
reduces the head developed by the compressor and thus the energy required for compression.
Opening the cold box methane heater control valves to control the methane to a temperature
target bypasses propylene liquid around the liquid accumulator level control valve, reducing
the excess vapour generated in that flash. A beneficial side effect of this action is that it also
reduces the steam that would otherwise be used to heat the cold box methane.
The first four controlled variables were the compressor discharge pressure control valve
output, the two cold box methane heater outlet temperatures, and the third stage drum liquid
level control valve position. The pressure control valve output is used to limit how low the
discharge pressure set point can be driven especially in the summer when cooling capacity is
reduced. Controlling the cold box methane heater outlet temperatures increases consistency
of operation and limits how far the heater valves will open. The third stage level control valve
position works in parallel with the cold box methane heater control valves and is used to
prevent them from bypassing too much liquid from the Propylene Accumulator and starving
the third stage drum level controller.
As the APC evolved, the fourth stage drum pressure set point was added as a
manipulated variable with the objective of maximizing the fourth stage extraction flow from
the compressor.
The effects of the advanced control program on energy consumption are shown in
Figure 2. Data is shown for 2006 before the APC was commissioned and for 2007, 2008,
2009, and 2011. Compressor power consumption data are plotted against the sum of
propylene, ethylene and methane production because processes to separate and purify these
products are the main users of propylene refrigerant. Production rates of these products
determine the compressor operating point. In 2006, prior to APC implementation, compressor
energy usage and production rates show very little correlation due to conservative set points.
In the first full year of operating the advanced control application, an 8% reduction in the
energy consumption of the compressor was achieved. Over the next four years, energy
consumption was progressively reduced by adjusting the APC program targets and limits to
maximize energy reduction within the normal process operating conditions. Between 2007
and 2011 the energy used by the Propylene Refrigeration Compressor was reduced by 16%.
This equates to a reduction in greenhouse gases of about 10 110 tonnes per year from a 1500
psig steam boiler firing natural gas at 80% efficiency.
 Figure 2: Propylene Compressor Power
Consumption By Year
105.00

100.00
Scaled Power Consumption [%]

95.00

90.00
2006
85.00
2007
80.00
2008
75.00
2009
70.00 2011
65.00

60.00
50.00 60.00 70.00 80.00 90.00 100.00 110.00
Scaled Sum of C3=,C2=, and C1 Production [%]

Figure 3 shows the average propylene flow per compressor stage and the average gas
head plotted against the turbine energy consumption. The average flow includes side loads
and fourth stage extraction flow. To achieve a 16% reduction in energy usage, mass flow was
reduced by approximately 10% and gas head by about 15%.
 Figure 3: Compressor Flow and Head Changes
102.0 Average Per Stage
100.0 Flow [%]
Average Gas Head
98.0
[%]
96.0

[% Maximum Value]
94.0
92.0
90.0
88.0
86.0
84.0
82.0
105.0 100.0 95.0 90.0 85.0 80.0
Compressor Energy Consumption [% Maximum Value]

These results required regular monitoring of compressor and process operation by plant
technical staff. Understanding the interactions between the process, the plant cracking diet
and compressor operation is essential to be able to optimize compressor power consumption.
It allows the APC targets and constraints to be adjusted to take advantage of improvement
opportunities. This can be seen in the data shown in Figure 4. The graph displays the
average values of the compressor discharge pressure and the fourth stage drum pressure
along with the percentage opening of the propylene liquid accumulator level valve plotted
against percentage energy usage per unit of production. Data between 2006 and 2011 is
shown in the figure. The discharge pressure was reduced by 13% and the fourth stage drum
pressure by 17% to achieve the gains shown in Figure 2. The propylene accumulator level
valve position is shown as an indicator of the net effect of the positioning of the cold box
methane heater valves. The average valve opening was reduced from about 23% to about
17% over the period shown.
 Figure 4: Key Contributors to Energy Reductions
250.00 Compressor Discharge
Pressure [psig]
200.00 Fourth Stage Drum
Pressure [psig]

150.00 Liquid Accumulator

Level Valve Opening
[%]
100.00

50.00

0.00
105.0 100.0 95.0 90.0 85.0 80.0
Energy Consumption [% Maximum]

Future Development Plans

This APC application and monitoring of the program constraints and targets has
successfully reduced the energy demand of the compressor by 16% to date. Work on further
reducing the energy used by this system will continue as long as there are opportunities for
efficiency improvements. In 2013, the Corunna Olefins Plant will be converted to a lighter
feed configuration to be able to process ethane from the Marcellus Shale Formation. This
means that yields of products such as propylene will decrease and the load on the third and
fourth stages of the compressor will change. This will require reconfiguration of the advanced
control program and plans are being put in place to complete this work as early as possible.