Controller design for optimal operation of Multiple Effect Evaporator of paper mills

The Kraft recovery process in the paper mills is highly complex and nonlinear. The evaporation of black liquor using Multiple Effect Evaporators (MEE) in the recovery unit of the Kraft process is an energy-consuming procedure. The challenge lies in designing a proficient control strategy to conserve energy and guarantee good product quality. In this article, the 2-DOF-PI controller is designed to enable efficient control of MEE and eliminate process uncertainties. The Heptads’ Effect Falling Film Evaporator in the backward feed flow configuration is used as a working platform. The steady-state and transient behavior of MEE is modeled and analyzed to assist in controller design. The steady-state process parameters, that guarantee optimum energy efficiency, are estimated using Moth–Flame Optimization (MFO). MFO is also employed to estimate the optimal 2-DOF-PI controller parameters to attain improved product quality and energy-efficient performance of MEE. The competence of MFO towards controller tuning is shown by a fair comparison with some well-known optimization techniques. The quantitative investigation of the statistical results demonstrates that MFO outperforms the other algorithms. To validate the proficiency of the designed control scheme, its performance is compared with basic PI/PID control strategy for set-point tracking, noise suppression, and process uncertainties. The simulation results indicate that the designed MFO-tuned 2-DOF-PI controller offers efficient control action and, therefore, proves to be an appropriate control algorithm to ensure sustainable production.