'Cycle to cycle' optimizing control of simulated moving beds

The novel feature of the presented simulated moving bed (SMB) controller is its capability to make use of the average outlet concentration of the product streams over a cycle as feedback information, i.e., 'cycle to cycle' control. Its effectiveness is confirmed experimentally on an eight-column four-section laboratory SMB unit, which is used to separate a binary mixture of the nucleosides, uridine and guanosine. The performance of the 'cycle to cycle' SMB control scheme is also demonstrated by several SMB simulation runs that are chosen to test the robustness of the controller. Furthermore, the case where measurements have a time delay is presented. The results illustrate that the 'cycle to cycle' controller is able to meet the products' purity specifications and operate the process optimally with minimal information about the system regardless of the disturbances that might take place during the operation. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008