Kohesi: Jurnal Sains dan Teknologi

Articles

Vol. 10 No. 8 (2026): Kohesi: Jurnal Sains dan Teknologi, ISSN 3025-1311

PROCESS CONTROL IN MAJOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING UNIT OPERATIONS: REACTORS, DISTILLATION COLUMNS, AND HEAT EXCHANGERS

Submitted
January 24, 2026
Published
2026-01-24

Abstract

Process control is fundamental to ensuring safety, efficiency, and product quality in chemical engineering operations. This paper reviews control strategies for three major unit operations reactors, distillation columns, and heat exchangers focusing on their unique dynamic challenges, from nonlinearity and thermal sensitivity in reactors to multivariable interactions in distillation and transport delays in heat exchange. Through a systematic literature review of authoritative journals and textbooks, the analysis highlights the continued dominance of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control in industrial practice due to its simplicity and reliability. However, advanced strategies such as Model Predictive Control (MPC) are increasingly essential for handling complex, constrained, and interactive processes. The paper also discusses realistic implementation challenges and emerging trends, including digitalization, data-driven modeling, and Industry 4.0 integration, which are shaping the future of intelligent and autonomous process control systems(Tseng et al., 2021).

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