Industrial Flash Dryer Model Calibration and Validation Using Historical Data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2026.47.13857Keywords:
Modeling of manufacturing operations, Process optimization, Model calibration, Closed-loop identification, Experiment designAbstract
Calibrating and validating dynamic first-principles models in industrial plants is challenging due to limited and imperfect data. This work presents the calibration and validation of a distributed-parameter model for an industrial flash dryer and related equipment using only historical production data. To compensate for the lack of active process excitation, a data-selection strategy is used to identify those operating periods with maximum natural variability. The study also highlights key practical challenges encountered in a real factory environment, including unmeasured process disturbances, synchronization of high-frequency sensor data with delayed laboratory measurements, and unavoidable measurement uncertainty. The model was calibrated and validated with independent datasets from the SONAE factory in Valladolid. Results show that, despite data-quality limitations and closed-loop operating conditions, carefully selected historical data can successfully estimate fundamental parameters and provide a reliable predictive tool for industrial optimization.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Saeed Rasekhi, Rogelio Mazaeda, Fernando Tadeo, Carlos Gomez Palacín, Angel Garcia Bombin
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