ACTIVE CLOUD POINT CONTROLLER FOR REFINING APPLICATIONS AND RELATED METHOD

摘要

A method includes receiving (302) a measurement associated with a cloud point of a biofuel being produced in a refining system (100). The method also includes determining (306) how to adjust the refining system based on a desired cloud point (136) of the biofuel and the measurement associated with the cloud point. The method further includes outputting (308) a control signal to adjust the refining system based on the determination. Determining how to adjust the refining system could include determining how to adjust an inlet temperature of a reactor in the refining system. The reactor could represent an isomerization reactor (116), and a heater (114) could heat material entering the isomerization reactor. Determining how to adjust the inlet temperature of the reactor could include determining how to adjust operation of the heater. A model predictive control (MPC) technique could be used to determine how to adjust the inlet temperature of the isomerization reactor.