Identification of SMB process model from batch experiments

The Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology is a continuous chromatographic process which is important in various fields, from sugar to enantiomer separation. Operating conditions must be carefully selected and regulated. The optimization, monitoring and control of SMB units require the use of a process model and the estimation of the model parameters. A systematic numerical procedure for determining parameters of SMB models from batch experiments is presented and evaluated. In contrast with previous studies, parameter identifiability (including parameter sensitivity, model selection, experiment design and the influence of local minima on the optimization problem) is studied and errors on the estimated parameters are calculated.