Virtual Instruments for the what-if analysis of a process for pollution minimization in an industrial application

This work deals with the design and implementation of soft sensors designed to perform the what-if analysis on a Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) in a refinery. Soft sensors are mathematical models able to emulate the behaviour of existing sensors on the basis of available measurements. This paper deals with the design of a soft sensor by using a nonlinear one step ahead model, eventually usable on-line. The realized models represented the building blocks for the design of the Virtual Instrument based on a multi steps ahead predictor to be used in the what-if analysis. The instrument allows the estimation the consequences that variations of the input trends produces on system outputs, to eventually improve control policy effectiveness.