An Adaptive Control Concept for Simulated Moving Bed Plants under Reduced Purity Requirements

Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is an increasingly used separation technology. Several chromatographic columns are interconnected to form a ring. Cyclically, the feedings and drains are changed to allow a continuous separation. This process is very sensitive to parameter variation and disturbances. For this reason, an adaptive controller is suggested. The proposed controller is based on a simplified model and automatically adjusts the volumetric flow rates and switching time in order to achieve the desired purities. Simulation results are presented to give a first impression of the capabilities of this new control concept.