Non-linear control algorithms for de-oiling hydrocyclones

Reduction in environmental footprint has become one of the key performance indicators in the oil and gas industry. As per the OSPAR commission, produced water containing more than 30 ppm of oil cannot be discharged to sea. This clearly indicates the importance of advanced control systems in produced-water system equipment like hydrocyclones and compact flotation units. It is expected that the control algorithms handle all the plant disturbances and meet the performance specifications. This paper investigates non-linear control algorithms for controlling the efficiency of hydrocyclones. Here, two well-known non-linear control design techniques-feedback linearization control and sliding mode control are used for the control of a hydrocyclone.