Patent ID: 8396600
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a polymerization reactor, comprising the acts of: importing polymerization reactor operational data from reactor sensors into a processor, the polymerization reactor operational data comprising measurements indicative of pressure and flow of solid polymer particles circulating through a polymerization reactor; generating a system curve from the polymerization reactor operational data with the processor, wherein generating the system curve comprises plotting the pressure and flow of the solid polymer particles circulating through the polymerization reactor; monitoring the system curve for a predictive indicator of an incipient reactor foul with the processor, wherein monitoring the system curve comprises identifying an intersection of the system curve and a pump curve constructed from pump data of a circulating pump for the polymerization reactor, the intersection being an operating point or range, and monitoring a distance traveled by the operating point or range along a path substantially constrained by the pump curve over time; identifying the predictive indicator based on the distance traveled by the operating point or range over time; and adjusting an operating parameter of the polymerization reactor with a controller in response to the predictive indicator.