One of the main ways to improve production efficiency and product quality in oil refining is to improve the processes management, what is provided by using of automated systems of control and optimization. The article explores the global market of production optimization systems – global dynamic optimization systems and real-time optimization systems – as of mid-2019. The importance of the study is caused by challenges facing the economy and oil refining to perform a digital transformation, designed to improve economic efficiency. The goal of the study was to analyze the current market situation and clear opportunities of using such digital technologies in oil refining.
A detailed analysis of optimization systems is given; their differences and features are considered. The criteria for selecting the systems that can guide to implement such solutions at oil refineries are specified. Technical, methodological and economic criteria for selecting systems are presented. It is noted that real-time optimization systems are more applicable to control steady state processes which are more typical for petrochemical enterprises, while global dynamic optimization systems are worth to apply in highly dynamic processes at oil refineries, especially when optimizing the operation of plant chains. Conclusions are drawn about the need in initial studying of the economic feasibility of such systems for each enterprise. It is recommended to have approved methods for calculating the potential and actual effectiveness of automated optimization systems, as well as a tool for continuous efficiency monitoring of the optimization system while operating.
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