Control-oriented modelling of gas-liquid cylindrical cyclones

Abstract

Compact separators are increasingly used for subsea separation of hydrocarbons, because of their low weight and low cost. A problem is their small volume, which makes them very sensitive to flow variations. This can degrade separation performance, which in turn can cause operational problems and economic loss. Improved control can increase robustness and therefore, the focus of this paper is to derive a control-oriented model based on first principles to enable the development of robust control algorithms. The derived model is controlled by a PI feedback control algorithm and tuned using the SIMC tuning rules. The model is qualitatively verified in simulations, and the behaviour confirmed with reported observations from experimental work and field applications from literature.