ChE 441 Washington State University

Process Control Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering

Fall, 2010 Richard L. Zollars

Problem 12.4, Seborg, Edgar, Mellichamp and Doyle

A process, including the sensor and control valve, can be modeled by the transfer
function:

s
e
s G
s 3
4
) (

=

(a) If a proportional-only controller is used, what is the maximum value of controller
gain K
c
that will result in a stable closed-loop system? (Determine the exact value of
K
c
, not an approximate value.)
(b) Specify a PI controller using the Tyreus-Luyben controller settings.

SOLUTION

(a) The process diagram for the closed-loop system would be


Thus the overall process transfer function would be

s
c
s
c
s
c
s
c
c
c
overall
e K s
e K
s
e
K
s
e
K
G G
G G
G
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
1
4
1

+
=
+
=
+
=

The behavior is determined by the characteristic equation which is

0 4
3
= +
s
c
e K s

To find the ultimate gain let s = i to get

-
+


G
c



G
0 4
3
= +

u
i
cu u
e K i
e
e

The exponential can be rewritten to give

( ) 0 3 sin 3 cos 4 = + +
u u cu u
i K i e e e

Separating the real and imaginary parts of this equation gives

0 3 cos 4
0 3 sin 4
=
= +
u cu
u cu u
K
K
e
e e


The last equation gives

6
2
3
0 3 cos
t
e
t
e
e
=
=
=
u
u
u


Substitute this into the first equation to get

131 . 0
6
4
6 2
sin 4
0
6
3 sin 4
6
=
=
= |
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
+
cu
cu
cu
cu
K
K
K
K
t
t t
t t


(b) The Tyreus-Luyben settings would give

( )
4 . 26
6
2
2 . 2
2
2 . 2 2 . 2
0406 . 0 131 . 0 31 . 0 31 . 0
=
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =
= = =
t
t
e
t
t
u
u I
cu c
P
K K