Crystallization Simulation and Optimization in Continuous Oscillatory Baffled Crystallizer

In this paper, the cooling crystallization process in a continuous oscillatory baffled crystallizer (COBC) has been studied. The control objective is to obtain the desired crystal size distribution (CSD) from this process. A population balance equation (PBE) is derived by combining the crystallization mechanism and the COBC's structure characteristics. The simulation of crystallization has been done by combining the PBE with the residence time distribution of the flow, where the residence time distribution is approximated by the tanks-in-series model. In order to get the optimal temperature profile, an optimization formulation is defined. By solving the optimization problem, we can get the optimal temperature profile. The inlet temperature of the cooling water of the jacketed glass tubes is calculated based on energy balance which ensures that the solution temperature along the crystallizer follows the desired cooling temperature profile. A set of simulations has been provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed methods.