Vaezian - Iran University of Science and Technology, (IUST) Narmak, Tehran, Iran
Norouzi - Iran University of Science and Technology, (IUST) Narmak, Tehran, Iran
Naeimpoor - Iran University of Science and Technology, (IUST) Narmak, Tehran, Iran
Golshan - Iran University of Science and Technology, (IUST) Narmak, Tehran, Iran

With the large number of industrial columns still operating in manual or with ineffectual controls, there remains a need for distillation column modeling and control design techniques. The aim of this paper is to study the interaction of modeling and control in Toluene-Benzene system. Hence, a control design procedure and an application of this technique to a column are presented. First the steady-state and dynamic models of distillation column are described. Secondly, the PI and IMC design of controllers investigated and the results are compared. MATLAB Control toolbox is used for the numerical code developed in this study. Based on the results of simulation, it is concluded that theta method is a strong approach to have convergence in numerical simulation of distillation columns, and for many simple processes with simple disturbance, the convectional controller based on the IMC design method turns out to be the equivalent of a PI controller, but the PI controller has faster response than IM controller.

Dynamic & Steady state modeling, Distillation column, Process control, IMC