Double-Loop Control Structure for Rotary Drum Granulation Loop

The operation of granulation plants on an industrial scale is challenging. Periodic instability associated with the operation of the granulation loop causes the particle size distribution of the particles flowing out from the granulator to oscillate, thus making it difficult to maintain the desired product quality. To address this problem, two control strategies are proposed in this paper, including a novel approach, where product-sized particles are recycled back to maintain a stable granulation loop process. A dynamic model of the process that is based on a population balance equation is used to represent the process dynamics. Both of the control strategies utilize a double-loop control structure that is suitable for highly oscillatory systems. The simulation results show that both control strategies, including the novel approach, are able to remove the oscillating behaviour and stabilize the granulation plant loop.