Application of a Neural Network on Steam Drum Pressure Control in a Fixed-Bed Reactor for Exothermic Reactions

Abstract

The control of steam drums, used to remove heat from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis or diethyl oxalate hydrogenation, is confronted with a challenge on controlling quality. The traditional proportional–integral–differential (PID) controllers with fixed parameters are dissatisfying upon deployment. The backward-propagation neural network (BPNN) self-tuning PID control algorithm was thus developed and implemented via a Python and KINGVIEW software combination. Application experiments showed that, in both setpoint control and step change control of the steam drum pressure, static deviation and the maximum error were less with the BPNN self-tuning PID controller, in comparison to the conventional PID controller. Moreover, it seemed that certain adaptations occurred to the nonlinear change in the reaction system, revealing that it was superior to the traditional PID controller. It is shown that the backward-propagation neural network will improve the control quality in boiling water drum systems for exothermic reactions. It can be predicted that the backward-propagation neural network is qualified for process condition control in the chemical industry.