CEV 544

PROCESS CONTROL AND INSTRUMENTATIONS

TUTORIAL 2

1. For the following control system in Figure 1, the main objective is to control the level in the boiler
drum. Indicate which system is a feedback or a feedforward control system.

Figure 1

2. Briefly explain the basic difference between field control, SCADA and DCS.

3. State two (2) purposes of using override control strategy.

4. Feedback control is the most common control strategy in the process industries due to its
popularity of simple design. In some processes, however, feedback control may not provide the
required control performance. State two (2) disadvantages of feedback control.

5. Consider a reactor in Figure 2

shows the control of the temperature in the reactor by manipulating the cooling water valve. The
flows of reactants A and B should enter the reactor at a certain ratio, R, that is, R = FB/FA and both
flows can be measured and controlled. Design a ratio control scheme to control the flow of
reactants to the reactor.
 TT TC
A

FO

Figure 2 Reactor

6. Consider the heat exchanger control system shown in Figure 3 in which the outlet process fluid
temperature is controlled by manipulating the steam valve position. The temperature control
loop shown can compensate for any disturbance only after the process temperature has deviated
away from set point. Draw a possible cascade scheme that can improve this temperature control.

Figure 3 Heat exchanger temperature control loop

7. Figure 4 shows a plug reactor where an exothermic catalytic reaction takes place. The control idea
is to measure the temperature at the hottest spot of the reaction and control the flowrate of the
cooling water. However, since the reactor is considerably long, a single sensor may not capture
the hottest spot.
 Figure 4 Exothermic plug flow reactor

i. Propose a suitable control scheme to control the temperature of the reaction.

ii. Evaluate two (2) important safety considerations based on the proposed design.