Dynamics and Control of Processes

Welcome to DCP

The Process Dynamics and Control group is part of the department of Chemical Technology of the University of Twente as well as the department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Groningen, both in the Netherlands. Please feel free to contact any of the staff members if you would like additional information about our work.

Research

The Process Dynamics and Control group has its roots in process technology as well as in systems and control theory. Research focuses on process control and automation issues concerning chemical processes such as process modelling, multivariable control, and process optimization. In order to improve the operation of a process and to produce better products at reduced costs, improved process control is imperative. Techniques and methods how to achieve this, are our central research theme.

The knowledge chain comprises the following three elements:
Process engineering, Control & system engineering and Computer science & information engineering.

Optimal operation of polymer production and processing Optimal operation of polymer production is an interesting theme for research, especially when multiple products are manufactured. In this case optimal grade switching is of crucial importance, in order to reduce the production of twilight product. The goal of one project is to investigate quality control during normal operation and during product changeover in the pilot plant production of bi-modal polypropylene. Research topics include modeling of the molecular weight distribution and the design and implementation of quality control strategies for both types of operation. ...

Carbon Reduction in Steelmaking Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) is one of the methods for making steel. Oxygen is blown into a furnace or BOS vessel, consequently oxidizing carbon and other unwanted elements. Carbon is oxidized to carbon monoxide, which can, after cleaning, be used a fuel gas. Other elements are converted into acidic oxides, which produce slag because of reaction with the lime that is added during the blow. After the blow, which typically takes about 20 minutes, the carbon contents should be at its specification and the vessel can be tapped. In order to monitor the oxidation process, a dynamic model of the process is being developed and combined with an appropriate parameter identification technique for adjusting the trajectory of the carbon and other relevant impurities, so as to make the right decision about the end of the blow...

Optimal Operation of Membranes Membrane filtration is a promising technology in the field of water purification, because of its high selectivity and economic scalability. However, the performance of Ultra Filtration is limited by fouling. Consequently, periodic cleaning of the membrane is necessary. Currently, the process settings are based on rules of thumb and pilot plant studies. As the resulting settings are generally quite conservative, it is expected that operating costs can be significantly reduced by means of optimization. ...

Dynamics and Control of Processes

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