Ran across some info on Smart Process Distillation. I was trying to find more information about what imports are needed from the system in order to implement this software effectively. Are there specific measurement inputs that gie you the best insight into the distillation process?
As Phatale noted, Pete is the owner of the solution. James Beall and I and others have implemented many of them. As for inputs, the principle ones are going to be flows, pressures, and temperatures around the column. Specifically, flows include feed, distillate (overhead product), reflux, bottom product, and heat input, which is commonly steam to a reboiler, but may be hot oil or some other hot stream capable of reboiling the bottom. The top pressure is usually the most critical, but if a bottom temperature is available, it can be used to measure pressure drop across the column.
Any temperatures can be used, but typically reflux and bottom temperatures and/or temperatures used to infer product compositions are the most important. There are some calculations that will use values, which may be constants, but which will be unique to a particular process. Antoine coefficients are needed and usually empirically derived to use the pressure-compensated-temperature function. There are a number of parameters such as tray spacing and surface tension used to estimate jet flooding and heat capacities would be needed to calculate heat exchanger duties.
Economic profitability calcs will require prices or relative prices for feed, products, and utilities such as steam to the reboiler. Levels are not explicitly used in the product, but levels and valve positions may become constraints on the MPC embedded in the solution. If you need more detail, we should find a way for somebody to show you the solution or the detailed documentation.