1. Objective

The primary objective of a distillation or gas treatment plant is to obtain products that can be marketed, used in subsequent stages of production, or disposed of as effluent. But this is not enough; as in any production unit, operations must be carried out at the lowest possible cost, since the ultimate aim is to achieve maximum profit.

To obtain products that meet specifications, it is first necessary to have a good knowledge of the column's operating parameters. These are obtained by simulation calculations described in the article Material transfer. Ideal compartmentalized operations [14] .

Plant control must keep the calculated operating parameters constant, or modify them to maintain product specifications, regardless of fluctuations in variables that cannot be influenced....