由於近年來生質柴油大量生產，使得發展其副產物甘油的再利用製程越來越受到重視，而本研究係探討其中一種甘油應用為甘油與異丁烯醚化反應產生第三丁基甘油醚類(GTBEs)，而產物中的雙醚及三醚能夠做為汽油或燃料的添加劑，增加辛烷值及抗爆震等功用。
整廠之設計首先選定合適的熱力學與動力學模式來描述程序之相平衡，採用Behr and Obendorf(2002)所回歸之Power Law反應速率模式及動力參數，並使用Aspen Plus V7.1進行穩態模擬。本研究利用多階段反應進行醚化反應製程，並延用Behr and Obendorf(2002)之整廠架構進行討論及模擬，最後提出系統最適化流程，以最小總年度成本(TAC)為目標。
此外，利用Aspen DynamicsTM進行動態模擬；在系統控制方面，使用基本的控制環路，並針對最敏感之塔板進行溫度控制，觀察受到干擾之情形，進而提出不同架構進行探討；藉由所提出之架構能夠排除整廠程序±20%之煉量擾動及5%、10%之組成干擾，以期得到良好之控制效果及維持最終產物不純物規範，驗證此整廠程序操作之可行性。

Due to the tremendous development for the production of biodiesel , the process of utilizating glycerol ( as by-product in biodiesel process) has gained a lot of attention in recent years. One of the various possibilities that this work explores is on glycerol etherification with isobutene to produce glycerol tertiary butyl ethers(GTBEs). The products of the etherification can be a mono-ether, a di-ether , or a tri-ether, where the “higher ethers”(di- and tri-) can be used as an octane booster for gasoline or as diesel additive.

This work chooses the suitable models to describe the thermodynamics and kinetics for the process design, and then simulates the process by using Aspen Plus V7.1. The series of reactors are used for the reaction system, and the overall process design adopt the concept by Behr and Obendorf (2002). Design objective is to minimize the total annual cost (TAC) by varying dominant design variables.

The dynamics and control of the overall process are also investigated in this work. The proposed control strategy is able to maintain product purity despite ±20% production rate changes and 5 to 10% composition disturbances.

[中文]
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